Innocent Secrets
by Koomahana
Summary: Kotetsu and his friends meets a girl and get pulled into her life, finding out about her younger sister, the group seek nothing more then to protect the the strange girls. The question is, can they save them in time?
1. Chapter 1

**Innocent secrets**

Chapter 1: to meet, to fight, to survive

Koomahana

* * *

The first day he had seen her; she was approaching the library, she stopped at the base of the stairs and then snapped around, hurrying away as if embarrassed. The next day she got half way up the stairs before she turned tail and ran away, the next day she actually managed to touch one of the doors before she hurried away, this time not running, just walking really, really fast.

On day five he watched her approach slowly, went up the stairs as if nothing was wrong, opened the door with the slightest show of hesitation... and walked in. She stood in the door for a moment as if she was unsure if she just did something really good or committed some great sin. He couldn't help smirking when her eyes widened suddenly and she had to dive out of the way in order to avoid the rushing team of genin carrying an absurd amount of books. He watched as she hesitantly made her way towards him, eyes wide and full of wonder as she looked around herself as if she'd never been inside a library before.

"Can I help you?" the girl jumped at the sound of his voice, turning too big, too wide... green... her eyes were as green as jade in sunlight, green like Oak leaves in fire light... and they were full of fear.

"I-I'm looking for a-a book," She stuttered out, shoulders hunching together and hands rising to ring the strap of her hand made Knit bag, twisting the brown yawn between her small and bony hands as if in a nervous tick. He was preventing from stating the obvious by a loud booming voice.

"Ayame!" The girl's eyes widened further and she dived forward, without a second thought, sweeping to the side and curling up under his desk like a curled up kitten. Her bag held in her lap, one hand pressed to her mouth and her other arm wrapped around her legs tightly, bringing them to her chin. "Ayame! Where are you?!"

He could take a hint

He looked up from his desk and stared coldly at the tall brown haired man that marched through the doors, hands fisted at his sides and dark eyes glinting dangerously as he walked forward, scanning the entrance to the library with a snarl and a glare.

"Can I help you?" He asked coldly, straightening slightly in his seat and reaching for the hidden kunai on his desk, knowing that the furious looking man couldn't see it because of the raised barrier between them.

"I'm looking for my daughter," the man snarled back at him

"No one's entered in the passed," he glanced back up at the cloak as if double checking something, "Oh I'd say five or so minutes. We had a genin cell leave—"

_Slam_

He flinched at the hard sound, he didn't even know those doors _could_ slam and plenty of brats have tried—himself included

"He's gone," he murmured turning in his seat to smile down at the still trembling girl reassuringly

"Th-thank you," She stuttered, not moving from her place, simply pulling her hand out of her mouth to tug at her coppery hair nervously. "Umm, I came here looking for a book... a-about chakra..."

"Sure, come with me," he smiled at her, offering her a hand up, "I'll take you to the section dedicated to the subject." She placed her hand in his gently, letting him pull her up smoothly

"There's an entire section?" She questioned with wide eyes, not noticing his slight flinch at the feel of her bony hands

"Yeah, this is a library after all," He smiled at her, gently tugging her towards the nearby stairs "you can find anything here." She was just a child, a few years younger then himself

"My name's Kotetsu, Kotetsu Hagane" he said, sweeping out an arm to show her the second level of the library, "And I'm a librarian here. If you need anything I'll help you" there was more to the offer then simply looking for a book somewhere in the library; her wide eyes and shocked face, told him that she understood his double meaning.

"Th-thank you," she stammered out, a bright blush and shy smile peaking through, "My name is A-Ayame... Ayame Haruno..."

…

* * *

…

The next time Ayame saw Kotetsu, he was standing outside the gates to her Academy, dressed in his strange gray uniform; his headband was missing this time, making her wonder if he was on a vacation.

"You found me," She whispered softly as she approached and smiled shyly at the taller boy, making him chuckle at her.

"After that one book you just kind of... disappeared," Kotetsu replied, his smirk widening as he saw that cloudy day revealed that her hair less coppery and more of a dark pink. The day they met, he had taken her directly to the tome dedicated to explaining about chakra, the five types, the various uses and styles of Chakra's and, of course, some of the more renowned and famous bloodlines that use Chakra.

She had been done with the book in ten minutes, Ayame thanked Kotetsu for taking her to the book and while his partner distracted him, she left the library. He spent the next twenty minutes trying to convince his child hood friend that he wasn't hallucinating her and that she really did exist. After that, he had been forced to wait the following week to see if she would return but it seemed that she no longer had a reason for returning to the library. When the week was over and she still didn't return, he went through the records searching for anything he could find anyone named 'Ayame Haruno'; he wasn't too happy about finding the mile long hospital records on her. There was an investigation about child abuse in Ayame's home but because no one could get close to her, they couldn't proceed with the investigation.

"I thought you might like to read something else," Kotetsu said reaching over and picking up the bag he had brought, "I didn't know what you liked so they're mostly on the uses of chakra... I hope you don't mind." Ayame's eyes widened at the sight of the books, nearly dancing in the half sunlight of the cloudy day.

"There's so many," She breathed, not moving to take hold of the bag, just staring at it as if she thought it would crumble away if she touched it

"I noticed that you read really fast," Kotetsu chuckled, "I don't know how long this'll last but I figured—"

"Oi! What do you think you're doing with Hime?"

_Hime?_ Kotetsu thought dumbly, turning to watch a girl approach him with a glare twisting her pretty features. Long black hair swished mockingly at her hips as she marched forward, dark eyes glinting dangerously as she glared at him—he knew this girl from reputation alone.

"M-Manami," Ayame stuttered out, blushing at the approach of the older girl

"Are you trying to get her killed Ninja-boy?" Manami hissed, stopping between them with her hands on her hips, "her father _hate's_ shinobi."

"Well her father isn't here," Kotetsu replied slightly jilted by the jab; in the distance the deep voice of Ayame's father shouted her name loudly, approaching the civilian delinquent school almost as fast as most shinobi travel.

"He will be," Manami growled at him

"Relax, I'll just say that I'm a student here," Kotetsu replied, rolling his eyes

"This is an all _girls_ school," Manami snorted, crossing her arms

"Th-there's an all b-boy's school just up the way" Ayame suggested, "W-we're having that co-ed thing i-in a-a few days..."

"Ayame... you're a genius," Manami grinned, her black eyes glinting as she wrapped an arm around the blushing girl. "And that project is like three months long... and we're always paired up two with two."

"I take you two will be paired together?" Kotetsu asked with dancing dark eyes; he took the extra info Manami gave and filed it away for later

"Always," Manami agreed with a wicked grin, "I don't play well with anyone else." He could see her being related to Anko easily, they shared the same grin that said: 'I'll kill you, _slowly_, and enjoy it'.

"Ayame!" Kotetsu stiffened at the significant closer baritone voice, Ayame paled significantly and huddled just a little closer to Manami's protective side. "Ayame you're late!"

"Shut up old man," Manami hissed out, glaring at Ayame's father venomously, "We just got out not even three minutes ago."

"_You,_" he hissed back, dark eyes glinting just as darkly as Manami's, "I told you to stay away from her."

"And I told you that I'm the only one protecting her from the bitches of this school," Manami smirked back at him, unfazed by his furious expression. "You could try to transfer her to another school but this is the only 'all-girls-academy' in the village." Kotetsu knew Manami was lying, he'd seen two other all girl schools before, but one was for specialized kunochi training and the other was a collage.

"And who the hell are _you_?" Ayame's father hissed out, turning to glare at Kotetsu

"I'm Gekko Hanazawa, Manami's brother," Kotetsu answered quickly, noting how Manami wasn't even fazed by the lie, yes he had stolen her surname—no way in hell was he giving the man his real name—"I'm from the all boy's school just up the block."

"Another delinquent," he said, his voice sending a frigid shiver up Kotetsu's spine

"What'd you'd expect old man?" Manami asked with a smirk, "You put her in a _delinquent's_ academy."

"_Ayame_," he hissed, dark eyes glinting dangerously at the pinkette

"Th-there's a-a Co-ed project be-between o-our sc-schools," Ayame said, stepping out from behind Manami and bowing her head, her hands folding together in her lap. "He-he's o-our p-partn-ner..."

"Ayame-san needs to read these for the project," Kotetsu said holding up the bag of books, "We'll be graded as a team and the grade is worth Ninety percent of our final semester grade, so if we fail we'll be held back a year."

"You know the gist old man," Manami spoke up, "Two girls, two boys." A hint for him to get a friend involved, now that he could do

"Home, _now_," he hissed out, not even glancing at Manami. Ayame flinched and hurried passed the two, making sure to stay out of arm's length from her father as she hurried passed. The man continued to glare at them and they glared right back; with a low growl he turned on his heal and marched away, the crowd of girls huddled around the gate of the academy parting to let him through.

"I'm afraid of him," Manami said suddenly, crossing her arms as if she was cold and watching Ayame hurry away until she disappeared around the corner.

"The famed 'ghost' is afraid of someone?" Kotetsu asked, trying to make a joke about the girl's nickname, Manami didn't even glance at him.

"I'm afraid of what he'll do to them," Manami clarified with a sigh, turning to walk in the opposite direction

"Them?" Kotetsu asked curiously, following the black haired beauty queen

"Ayame has a little sister," Manami said, glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow, "Shizuki hates her because she killed his wife."

"What's her name?" Kotetsu asked, making a mental note to talk to a few people he knew about the name 'Shizuki Haruno'

"Sakura," Manami sighed, "She's six years old and is sweeter then honey, shy but sweet."

…

* * *

…

"A co-ed program?" her father hissed at her, when they were 'safely' out of public few

"I-it happens e-every Y-year..." Ayame agreed softly, "you r-remember l-last year..." of course he remembered, he hospitalized one of the boys for getting to close to her. Now she just had to hope that Sakura was either hiding somewhere upstairs or not home; she knew what was coming next, she didn't need the tiny child watching.

…

* * *

…

"Damn girl," Manami hissed softly, as she patted gently against Ayame's face, careful of the cuts, "You read that chakra book right?" Ayame made a soft noise of agreement that was mixed with a pained hissed, "Use the knowledge you gained from it already," Manami ordered, wincing at the new wave of blood that threatened to break through the barrier she created, "heaven knows Kami-sama gave you a beautiful brain, why don't you just use that photo-thing you have?"

"Photographic memory?" Ayame's soft voice asked, wincing when Manami dabbled a little too much foundation in a cut

"Yeah... that one..." Manami sighed and sat back, studying Ayame's face carefully, "I think you might need stitches..."

"I can't go to the hospital again," Ayame said, sounding slightly panicked, "Father will—"

"Your father will kill you at this rate," Manami hissed with a glare, "For once think of yourself child."

"If I go to the hospital he'll hurt _her_," Ayame said, tears pricking her eyes, "he swore it last time, he's aloud you to be so close because you're 'not a threat' to him."

"Because I'm a 'delinquent'," Manami agreed with a hiss, gently moving her sponge beneath Ayame's bruised right eye. "What about Ninja-boy? Surly he could—"

"No," Ayame nearly hissed, surprising Manami at the tone of voice she used, "He can't know, _please_ Manami don't tell Kotetsu-kun."

"'Kun'?" Manami mimicked with a soft grin and a lifted eyebrow, "oh~ I get it," Ayame groaned and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. "You like him~" it was a simple tease, no malice or mockery, the two just wanted to talk about something to distract them from the pain in Ayame's body and the make up Manami had to apply to hide the marks. Neither noticed the three shinobi standing nearby, watching them closely.

"So that's Ayame Haruno," the tall man in the dark trench cloak murmured, not glancing at the boy beside him, "She's younger then I thought she was."

"That's what happens after so many years of Malnutrition," the woman to his other side murmured just as softly, "He may let her out of the house for school but he doesn't feed her regularly... I fear what her sister must look like."

"Do you know anything about that girl?" Kotetsu asked, turning his dark eyes towards the woman

"She's six years old and is extremely weak," she sighed straightening and moving away from the edge, letting the wind pull at her long auburn hair. "She was born with calcium deficiency, she's supposed to be taking Iron to help strengthen her bones but Shizuki-san doesn't let her leave the house and he sure as hell doesn't get her medicine. When he catches her in their yard he yells at her but if he were to catch her off his property?" the woman shook her head with a sigh, "There's no telling what he would do to her."

"Can't we do anything, Ninaiwa-san, Ibiki-san?" Kotetsu asked, following the woman away from the edge of the building,

"There's this horrid little thing called politics," Ibiki answered, joining them, "At least we know that the 'ghost' is a lot calmer then we all thought she was."

"Can you imagine the destruction that woman could do if she was a ninja?" Kotetsu shivered at the thought, "She'd properly _slaughter_ Shizuki-teme," Kotetsu has seen the mess 'ghost' could do when she went off in a rampage, granted the girl hasn't had one in a few years but that was beside the point; even the Hokage had her under surveillance for a while, unsure of how to treat the girl with no loyalties.

"And no one would blame her," Ninaiwa chuckled, "I doubt charges would be pressed against her."

"No one likes that man," Ibiki agreed, remembering meeting him once long ago, "I'm sure not even his daughters would be concerned if he... disappeared..."

"Like their mother?" Ninaiwa asked with a raised eyebrow, "What?" she asked dumbly when both young men beside her looked in startled bewilderment at her, "it was in the news a six years ago, don't you remember?" at their blank looks Ninaiwa sighed and explained "Maihime Haruno, famed senor, had gone missing after giving birth to her youngest daughter. It was thought that she died because of the blood loss but no one ever found her body so they don't know."

"You mean she disappeared from the hospital?" Kotetsu asked with a frown

"Yup," Ninaiwa nodded

"Wasn't there an investigation?" Ibiki asked

"Everyone tried to search for her but because she wasn't exactly high priority and because of the Kiyobi attach a few months later" Ninaiwa shrugged, sad about the news but not entirely surprised, "She just slipped through the cracks."

…

* * *

…

"Hay, long time no see," Kotetsu greeted Ayame warmly when she walked through the library doors "how was the reading?"

"Enlightening" Ayame giggled, "Umm... I was wondering..." Ayame blushed brightly as she looked at him, trying not to make eye contact "D-do you have any books on healing? I-I read about it in one of the books... I-I thought umm..."

"Sure no problem," Kotetsu grinned, a smile dancing in his dark eyes, "I have one condition, though."

"Co-condition?" Ayame repeated softly, not sure if she should be wiry

"If you're going to practice chakra healing, then you need to practice chakra control," Kotetsu chuckled, trying to calm Ayame again. "The best way to do that is through meditation... oh s-sorry" Kotetsu stumbled to a stop, realizing what he was doing. "Um, I kind of forgot that you're a civilian, you don't know much about chakra..."

"I memorized that tomb you took me too the first time," Ayame reassured, surprising Kotetsu, "I have a photographic memory Kotetsu-san... I only need to see or read something once to memorize it."

"Heh, sounds like you should've been put in the shinobi academy," Kotetsu chuckled rising to his feet and gesturing for Ayame to follow him

"My mother wanted me too," Ayame said as she followed him, "But she died before she could admit me."

"Really?" Kotetsu asked surprised, "Why didn't your father?"

"Mama... mama was a simple genin," Ayame answered hesitantly, "Despite what little she taught me, father said that I would amount to nothing, he says that I'd have a better life as someone's wife."

"Speaking of the man," Kotetsu stopped and pulled out a book from a high shelf, "You know you're old enough to leave him... and take custody of your sister."

"How do you—"

"Manami"

"Ah" Ayame chuckled, shaking her head in amusement, "She's always looking out for me..." Ayame watched as Kotetsu chuckled and pulled down a few more books, scanning the shelves for others. "You know... civilians are little different from Shinobi, not by much but they are." Kotetsu noticed how she said 'they' instead of 'we', "For shinobi, you're an adult when you turn sixteen... or is it when you gradate?"

"For most it's when you graduate the academy," Kotetsu answered thoughtfully, "Although some kids don't leave until they're Chunin... or Jonin which some times doesn't happen until their twenties."

"I see..." Ayame sighed, "Well for civilians, you aren't an adult until you're eighteen."

"Maybe you should join the academy," Kotetsu suggested, pulling another book down and looking at the number they've gathered so far. "Shinobi rules are a lot more relaxed about that sort of thing then civilians are," Ayame knew full well what 'sort of thing' Kotetsu was hinting at, with a soft sigh Ayame understood that despite her efforts to hide it, Kotetsu still knew about the problem she had and properly more then she'd like to admit.

"I don't suppose..." Ayame started hesitantly, blushing brightly as they walked back to the front of the library "you know... anyone who could... help... with teaching me?"

"Sure I know lots of people," Kotetsu answered with a grin, "mostly anyone who enters the library here but I think you were talking about a few teachers right?" Ayame blushed but nodded all the same "Alright let me see who I can't contact then."

A week after that, Kotetsu told Ayame that a friend had told the school she was going to that she was getting transferred to another academy, this way the school wouldn't question Shizuki about her absence and he wouldn't wonder were she's been the entire day. Ayame didn't have to worry about leaving in a different direction either, she'd leave the same time every morning and arrive at her academy at the same time, where Manami and Kotetsu would sneak her out the back way and hurry to the library which was thankfully nearby. After two weeks of the changes, Ayame revealed that she was a sensor type like her mother and that she was already teaching Sakura the basics. Manami had immanently offered to get the little pinkette from her room at the house, after all she would only scream if anyone else showed up.

…

* * *

…

The day Kotetsu met Ayame's little sister, he was both horrified by her physical condition and amazed by the natural beauty she still held. She clung to Manami's long gray skirt fearfully, looking up at the group who was teaching Ayame everything she requested: Sensing and healing. Sakura's hair was actually a few shades paler then Ayame's and her eyes were a deeper green, her skin was pale like snow but ruff like the paper inside sealing scrolls.

"Hello Sakura-chan" Kotetsu greeted, crouching lowly so she wouldn't feel so threatened by him, "My name is Kotetsu Hagane."

"Nee-chan's friend," Sakura murmured softly, looking up at him through her long cheery locks shyly, "You're making her smile more..." Well that was a boost to his confidence

"Imoto!" Ayame shouted when she turned a corner and caught sight of Sakura and Manami,

"Nee-chan!" Sakura's eyes lit up and a smile bloomed on her face, she ran out from behind Manami and passed Kotetsu, barreling into Ayame's legs with loud echoing giggles.

"Sa-chan I want you to meet some friends," Ayame giggled, lifting Sakura into her arms and turning just enough to view the group that now surrounded them. "This is Ibiki Marino, he's helping with~" Ayame trailed off expectantly

"Accuracy?" Sakura guessed with a shy smile

"Right," Ayame smiled, "and this one is Anko Mitarashi,"

"She's helping with healing right?"

"Close" Ayame chuckled, "Mitarashi-san helps with my Taijutsu"

"Oh~" Sakura stared at the older girl curiously, noting her clothing style that her father hated to see on girls, "Nee-chan..."

"Ignore it," Ayame sighed, "This is Ninaiwa Nara, and she's helping me with..."

"Healing?" Sakura guessed

"Good girl" Ayame giggled, tickling Sakura's sides, "And you know Manami Hanazawa," the once renowned trouble maker grinned wolfishly at Sakura, which earned an excited giggle and wave, "and you just met Kotetsu-kun, he's helping me with reading and research"

"He's a friend," Sakura said as if she was saying the sky was blue and grass was green, it was simple fact.

"Good girl," Ayame praised with a smile, butting her head against Sakura's

The next day Ayame arrived with Kotetsu at her side, Manami having returned to her home and taking Sakura out of the house for a secret trip to the library. The group became quite used to the two pinkette's meeting with them secretly at the library, eager to learn together the ways of the shinobi. Ayame excelled in her chosen art of medicine and Sakura retained any and all information thrown at her like a sprung that never leaked. Anko thought it was both funny and a little irritating, having called Kotetsu a name one week then having Sakura question Ibiki about it the following week; Anko almost always had a new bruise after words.

After two and a half months, Ayame passed the mini examine they held for her in front of the Hokage and a few other Jonins. Hiruzen handed Ayame the headband with the look of a proud grandfather—Ayame then hugged him and cried profusely all over his white coat. Once that was done and over with, Hiruzen told Ayame that by shinobi rules and regulations she had every right to move out of her house with her father and take custody of Sakura and the best part was that her father couldn't stop her.

Kotetsu walked the Haruno sisters to their home that night, Sakura giggling on Kotetsu's shoulders until they got to the right street. Kotetsu then put Sakura into his arms and disappeared from sight, letting Ayame walk the rest of the way. When Ayame reached the gate to her home, she saw a strange man speaking softly with Shizuki on the porch. Shizuki smiled plainly at the man and shooed him away, placing a leather pouch in his hands as he did so.

_Who is that?_ Ayame thought as she passed the strange man on the walkway, closing the gate after him and walking into her house with a bowed head. She removed her shoes and found Sakura standing at the base of the stairs with a strange look on her face, turning Ayame gasped as she felt something impact her face and sent her tumbling to the floor before her sister.

"_Shinobi training?!_" Shizuki hissed as he slammed the door closed behind him, glaring venomously at the sisters

"Sakura-bed—_now!_" Ayame ordered pushing herself up from the floor and standing protectively in front of the stairs and her sister, Sakura turned and ran right up the stairs without questioning her or even looking back.

"I had been wondering why you were so _chipper_ lately," Shizuki said, grabbing Ayame's neck with one hand and slamming her against the wall hard enough to rattle several pictures off, "So I hired that man to follow you, he's quite famous for doing what's asked without asking questions."

_Oh no_, Ayame felt her eyes widen, her nails digging into her father's arms as he lifted her higher and squeezed her throat tighter.

"You broke your promise," Shizuki hissed throwing Ayame to the floor and stomping on her repeatedly, "Time for me to keep _my_ promise."

_No,_ Ayame gasped as she pushed herself up, staring blurrily at her father's retreating back as he went up the stairs "Don't" Ayame ordered weakly, lifting teary eyes up to her father, "Please father don't! She's Mama's last light! She's all we have left of her! Please don't take her away! Don't hurt her!"

"Last light?" Shizuki repeated softly, stilling on the stairs, eyes locked onto the broken picture at his feet, "Maihime's last light... her last... remaining essence..." Ayame paled as Shizuki turned too wide, too dark eyes on to her, "You... you are the same as her..." Ayame backed away from her father as he advanced on her, "You're the same as Maihime... the same... _You are the same_."

Ayame's screams went unheard

…

* * *

…

_I have to hurry_, Sakura thought as she snuck down the stairs, pausing at the entrance to her living room, she only moved again when she heard her sister whimper painfully. _I have to hurry_, Sakura reminded herself as she pulled up her little yellow coat from the floor, ignoring the strange crimson liquid running down the back of it, and hurried out the door, closing it quietly. She ran away from her house and down the street, not stopping to answer the curious questions of the few people who saw her.

"_Okay you see this here, that's the library," Kotetsu murmured, pointing to the space on the map, "Now I want you to run passed it to here, at the end of the street..."_

_And take a left_, Sakura thought, remembering the way as was explained to her, _then the first right_

"_I want you to run into the building and strait up to the first person you see," Kotetsu said, "Don't be afraid if they're wearing a mask, they're friends and will help you immanently."_

Sakura ran to the building, ignoring the group of adults who turned around and quickly followed after her with startled shouts, she forced open the doors the way she was taught, using chakra to give herself some more strength, and hurried inside.

_Don't be afraid of the masks_, Sakura thought as she found a nearby man with a mask, _They're friends and will help you immanently_

"You're not supposed—" the man started as she ran straight at him

"Please help her!" Sakura cried out, cutting off the tall boy as she ran into his legs and taking hold of his hands with teary eyes. "Daddy's hurting her more then usual and he's making weird noises and-and—"

"Whoa, whoa little one," the boy murmured, crouching to put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Start from the beginning, What's going on?"

"He said... Kotetsu-nii, he said," _think! Think! What did he say?!_ "Kotetsu-nii said to call for Sota!" Sakura shouted suddenly, finally remembering what the older boy told her, "Kotetsu-nii said to come to T&amp;I and call for Sota!"

_How the hell dose she know that anagram?_ The boy thought with a narrowed eye

"Sakura?!" Said girl and the Anbu in front of her turned to see Anko, Ibiki and Kotetsu walking towards them, "What the hell happened?!" when Anko saw the red trail behind Sakura and the crimson liquid dripping from her yellow rain coat, Anko dashed forward as fast as lighting with the two males close behind her.

"An-nee!" Sakura shouted parting from the Anbu to hurry into the tall brunet's arms, "An-nee he's hurting her! It's different this time! It's worse! He's making weird noises and she's crying and she's not moving and—" Anko wrapped her arms around Sakura, gritting her teeth tightly as Ibiki and Kotetsu ran ahead, as soon as she said it was different, those two tore out of the building with the gray haired Anbu right behind them.

"An-nee I'm _scared_," Sakura sobbed, rubbing at her face as Anko collapsed to her knees, pulling the pinkette into her lap, ignoring the blood that smeared against her arms and body in the processes "Nee-chan was crying and daddy he... he was... is-is Nee-chan g-going to b-be okay?"

"I-I" Anko stuttered, burying her face into the tiny blood soaked child in her arms, "I can't lie to you." Anko ignored the surprised silence of the night workers in the T&amp;I building; undoubtedly, there would be rumors flying around in the morning, "I can't lie to you... but I can protect you."

Silence reined in the building, Anko swore loyalty only to the Hokage, everyone else was either trash or had a shaky kind of respect from her—Anko didn't swear to _protect_ anyone, what made this blood stained little girl so different from the rest of the world?

…

* * *

…

"Hold on Ayame," Kotetsu said as he ran full tilt out of the house and across the roofs of his village, "Just a little longer... _Please_..."

"K-Kote-tsu" Ayame whispered, curling into his hold and closing her eyes

"No Ayame you have to stay awake," Kotetsu pushed himself even faster, using as much chakra as he could to get to the hospital, he was almost there, "Stay awake Ayame..." Kotetsu gritted his teeth and fought back the tears threatening his vision

"I f-forgot t-to te-tell y-you..." Ayame coughed, a smile tugging at her swollen lips

"Save it for tomorrow," Kotetsu ordered, he leaped high into the air, another bound and he'd be there...

"I-I l..."

"Stay awake," Kotetsu ordered, tears threatening his eyes

"L-Love y-you..."

"Ayame?" he landed at the steps of the hospital, rushing forward and barreling through the doors carelessly, "Someone help! She's not breathing!"

…

* * *

…

"What's going on?!" Manami asked loudly, rushing down the hall in nothing more then a long white night gown and a silk robe, a familiar looking gray haired Anbu close behind her "What happened to—"

"Mana-chan!" Sakura called out with tear eyes, waving at the black haired beauty marching towards them "Daddy was acting weird!"

"Idiots!" Manami snapped out, tears springing to her eyes as she ran forward with renewed panic, "She'll remember!" Manami shouted, wrapping her arms around Sakura and jerking her out of Anko's hold, without a second thought she pressed a pressure point on Sakura's neck, knocking her out.

"Didn't you idiots notice it?!" Manami asked cradling Sakura close as she glared at the group who's been teaching Ayame "Sakura has the same memory as Ayame! She has a photographic memory!"

"S*!t!" Ibiki cursed slamming a hand against the wall, "She walked right passed them... she saw _everything_." Manami collapsed to her knees, guessing what had happened to Ayame, tears freely flowing from her eyes as she cradled Sakura close, she knew what happened to children who saw that king of thing; some ended up like her—others ended up so much worse.

"Have you heard anything about Ayame-Hime?" Manami asked, trying to pull herself together, rubbing at her eyes and whipping her nose on her sleeve carelessly

"She's in surgery," Kotetsu answered from his seat, "he beat her pretty bad..." Manami flinched and rocked back and forth, burying her face into Sakura's shoulder.

…

* * *

…

He couldn't help but stare incredulously at the page presented to him by his amused teammate

_Shizuki Haruno: civilian but believed to have some shinobi training_

_Likes: beating his children, Ayame (16) and Sakura (6)_

_Dislikes: Shinobi_

_Coast: 500,000 ryo_

_Crime: the rape and murder of his eldest daughter: Ayame Haruno suspected for the murder of his wife: Maihime Haruno (25) and abuse of his youngest daughter: Sakura_

_From: the hidden leaf_

_Status: preferably alive, Konoha wants to kill him themselves_

"...his kid must have had connections," he murmured staring at the image of the black haired man who was smiling brightly at the camera, at the corner of the image was a lock of what looked like dull pink hair, which meant that the image had been blown up for the entrance. "For them to state that they _want_ to kill him themselves..."

"He screwed up big time," his partner chuckled, "Still I kinda don't blame them, my niece is that age..."

"No mercy?"

"Heh, not a snow ball's chance in hell"

This man was about to regret being born

…

* * *

…

"Well, did you get everything?" Hiruzen asked, not turning in his seat to address the group behind him,

"I did lord Hokage," Inoichi Yamanaka said, shifting slightly uncomfortably, "It was pretty bad in that house... I couldn't erase everything..."

"What did you do?" Hiruzen asked, breathing out a long breath of smoke, closing his eyes in regret and sorrow

"I sealed them," Inoichi sighed, "So long as she doesn't see a hypnotist or one of my kinsmen don't try to possess her, we don't have to worry about her remembering _him_."

"Ah..." Hiruzen sighed slumping in his chair in relief "And Ayame's funeral?"

…

* * *

…

"Oto-san, Okaa-chan! I'm home!" Sakura giggled as she ran into her new home, eyes dancing as she headed into the kitchen

…

* * *

…

"The funeral went well," Ibiki smirked, "no one is the wiser..."

"And how is Kotetsu doing?"

…

* * *

…

"Welcome home," Sakura giggled as she ran into the young man's out stretched arms, giggling when his black spiky hair brushed against her face.

"Are you hungry?" Sakura turned to smile up at the older woman standing at the counter with a towel in hand

…

* * *

…

"He's married to the woman he loves," Anko giggled, between the two men "he's doing great!"

…

* * *

…

"Hi mommy!" Sakura giggled as the green-eyed woman smiled at her, patting her head affectionately, "I'm really hungry!"

"What's wrong with this picture?"

"Mana-chan!" Sakura giggled, waving cheerfully at the tall and elegant black haired girl peaking around the corner with a smile

"Oh right! My hug!" Manami chuckled as Sakura scurried down from her 'father's' arms and hurried over to her, giggling loudly

…

* * *

…

"Let's not forget that they adopted 'ghost'" Inoichi chuckled, "They're a real family over there."

Hiruzen couldn't help but agree, yes it had been tricky and they did nearly lose her, but Ayame pulled through the surgery. When she woke Kotetsu asked for her to marry him, she said yes and they were married just a few months later.

Inoichi made sure that Sakura couldn't remember her real father and understood that her sister had to change her name for safety, so she couldn't call her 'Nee-chan' anymore. Sakura's files were doctored, saying that she had witnessed her father rape and murder her sister before escaping her house mostly intact. Manami 'Hagane' then adopted Sakura in honor of Ayame and had the pinkette move in with her and her 'brother' Kotetsu; who later married a woman named 'Ayako'. Ibiki had fun falsifying Manami's files, saying that she was Kotetsu's half sister, and had even more fun teaching her the ways of T&amp;I much to Kotetsu's irritation. Sakura was admitted into the academy and Manami received similar special training that Ayame had gotten. Both Ayame and Manami were given Kotetsu's surname, becoming 'Hagane' in a single instant; Ayame as Kotetsu's wife (now named Ayako) and Manami as his sister.

Sakura remained as the only Haruno in Konohagakure

…

* * *

…

**I wasn't actually sure if I should continue or not... but I added this anyways **

…

* * *

…

Six years and five months later

First chunin examine for team seven

…

* * *

…

"Alright!" Ino shouted excitedly, eyes locked onto the gray haired crouching in front of them "Let's see Sakura Haruno's stats!"

"Oi! What the hell?!" Sakura asked rounding onto the blonde in irritation, not even seeing that the glasses wearing boy, Kabuto, was doing as he was asked "Why me? Don't you have a 'Sasuke Uchiha' obsession?"

"Yeah but you've always been a-a little... oh what do they call it?" Ino asked, pretending to think for a moment before smirking as an idea came to her "Freak of nature, nothing scares you."

"Ino-pig!" Sakura snapped out, taking a swing at the blonde, ignoring the restraints that were her teammates

"Killing others is bad!" Naruto wailed loudly, tears forming in his eyes as Sakura continued to strain his hold

"She's not worth an _expulsion_," Sasuke grunted, Sakura stilled at the word 'expulsion' her eyes widening "Do you _want_ to get expelled? If you touch her that'll be what happens!"

"Well this is unexpected," Kabuto interrupted before Sakura could respond to her teammates, instantly the rooky generation was paying attention to the gray haired boy crouching beside them. "It says here... that Sakura-san watched her father—" Kabuto flinched as suddenly the card in his hands was cut in half, destroying the card and making the information disappear.

"That's none of your damn concern," Sakura growled out lowly, aura dark as she glared down at Kabuto warningly, "I suggest you pick someone else to read—_now _"

"Y-yes ma'am" Kabuto paled and raised his hands peacefully at Sakura, one look at her pale teammates—who were still struggling to move her away from them—and Kabuto already knew that he didn't want to get into a fight with the pinkette. Later Kabuto would have Shikamaru, Sasuke and Kiba approach him for another try at Sakura's card, their other teammates distracting Sakura easily enough.

After reading her card, they understood just why Sakura smiled at even the darkest of looks and laughed at threats to her life

She had survived hell for the first six years of her life and still managed to smile as brightly as sunlight

…

* * *

…

**That's all folks! XD**

**Page 20**


	2. Chapter 2

**Innocent secrets**

Chapter 2: a father, a mother and death

Koomahana

**Okay if I'm going to be turning this into a story then I will be needing the following:**

**Suggestions**

**Thoughts/ideas**

**Betas! They're always a great help!**

**And lots of reviews! They always remind me what I need to explain, remind, check my grammar and spelling and if I'm going too far or lost my touch**

**Oh here's a warning (because this person I seriously annoying me)**

**If you don't like the coupling and are going to do nothing but insult my story on every chapter because it's not a 'SasuSaku' then please, I beg of you, for the sake of my sanity, please don't review. I don't know who you are but I'm tiered of you going to each of my stories and posting the same review on **_**every single**_** one of them.**

**Personally I believe that Sasuke had a chance with Sakura and he blew it majorly when he tried to kill her—sorry but to find out that Sakura forgave him (I can't fault that one too much) and even married him after that, was a huge disappointment to me.**

**Although I will admit this, there are some hell-a good 'SasuSaku' stories out there, none of them happen to belong to me, so deal with it.**

**Anyways! On with the story! XD**

**Wish me luck!**

* * *

**Note: Ayame changed her name to Ayako, when you change your identity you change your hair and eye color with hair dye and contacts. Instead of having one blue eye and one green eye with bright pink hair, 'Ayako' has red hair and blue eyes**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

She took a deep breath and stared at the small photo in her hands, it had been twelve years since she last saw her family but to be fair she didn't really have a choice in leaving. That strange man just walked in, knocked her out and walked her out of the hospital without anyone even noticing him. Now with her master dead she could return home, explain things and pray that everything was okay, She could hope that her family didn't tear itself apart, Hope that the Sandaime didn't label her as a nuke-nin even though she had been kidnapped.

_I'll be home soon sweet heart_, she thought smiling at the picture she had been given so many years ago, two little girls smiling up at the cameraman, green eyes bright and smiles wide. _Wait for me love, I'm coming home..._

…

* * *

…

Sakura tiptoed pasted her parent's and sibling's rooms to sneak down the stairs as quietly as she possibly could. She was half way down when she heard a door open, moving quickly she ducked behind the barrier for the two sides of the stairs and watched the morning sunlight hitting the upper wall of the upper staircase. Hearing a loud, tiered yawn and the familiar looking shadow of a longhaired woman pass in front of the stairs, Sakura held her breath until she heard the soft click of the bathroom door. Turning Sakura tiptoed down the rest of the stairs, a large coat over her arm, a large white bag in her other hand and dozens of hair ties on her wrist, Sakura paused at the end of the stairs. Clinging to the wall carefully, she didn't want to bump into any of the hundreds of pictures on the staircase wall, Sakura peaked around the corner to look inside the large dinning room. Seeing the eight-sided table stood empty with eight empty plates, Sakura took half a step forward and peaked further in to look at the kitchen. Humming at the stove was a tall, elegant crimson haired woman dressed in a long blue skirt and white blouse with a little white apron. Her long hair was half pulled up into a high ponytail that was braided into a graceful, endless bun; her snow-pale hands moved with expert care from cupboard to pot to cupboard again, knowing just were everything was set. Biting her lip nervously, Sakura took a deep breath and tried to tiptoe passed the large entrance to the kitchen/dinning room; she got two soft steps before a voice stopped her.

"And just where do you think you're going young lady?" Sakura groaned, her body sagging at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Mo~om how can you always do that?" Sakura whined as she set her white bag close to the front door and entered the large combined room with a pout, aiming straight for her chair at the large table.

"What did I tell you about asking silly questions love?" Ayako asked aiming a smile over her shoulder at Sakura. Over the years and as Ayako grew older, becoming healthier as time passed her left eye turned more of a blue color then the slightly darker green that Sakura knew from childhood. It was a trait inherited from her mother, Sakura's grandmother, and had skipped Sakura but not her younger brother or sister.

"I'm beginning to think you can't stop sensing," Sakura grumbled, spreading her navy blue coat over the back of her chair. "And you forgot your contacts again"

"You're avoiding my question," Ayako giggled, a soft sound that all mothers seemed to have inherited with the birth of their first-born.

"I was going to meet with my teammates for a little spare before we went over to the Academy," Sakura answered moving to a cupboard and pulling down eight glasses, "Today's the chunin examine, remember?"

"Ah I was wondering when you were going to take that examine," Ayako giggled, turning her dancing eyes onto her daughter as she pulled out a strainer and set it in the sink, "You know I didn't take my first examine until I was seventeen."

"Mom you were a genin at sixteen after two and a half months of training," Sakura reminded Ayako as she placed the cups evenly beside each plate, "you took your first chunin examine exactly one year, two months and three weeks later." Most of that time was spent in the hospital recovering from the beating she had gotten, then her wedding happened and _then_ she trained for chunin examines.

"Ah but did I pass?" Ayako asked with a grin, lifting her pot and poring it's contents into the strainer.

"No but we did get Sora out of it," Sakura answered with a grin, placing silver where on the table. Ayako laughed her shoulder's shaking as she continued to pour the last of the contents into the strainer. Ayako, Kotetsu and Manami had all taken the examine together, Manami had left them alone for the night and they were cold, they hadn't expected for their cuddling to go so far but it did and Manami had damn near killed Kotetsu for it when she found out.

"Sounds like we're having fun in here," Kotetsu yawned as he leaned against the open door way, arms crossed and sleepy smirk in place.

"Hay daddy," Sakura giggled at him, her eyes dancing as she caught sight of his hair "I'm not sure but I think you have something in your hair."

"Ha-ha very funny," he checked his hair anyways

…

"_Okay I have two questions," Sakura said as entered the living room where her family was sitting together, "One: who finished off my chocolate and strawberry ice cream? and two: Who's been in my room?"_

"_As if you could tell who's been in your room," Manami chuckled, eyes locked on the cards in front of her_

"_You finished your ice cream," Kotetsu said not even looking at her "Why would we want that nasty thing anyway? It's not like it's healthy for you..." Sakura stared at the two siblings long and hard, her eyes narrowing as Ayako tried to distract her younger children with whatever game they were playing._

"_You both are so dead"_

"_You can't touch us," Manami snickered_

"_I wouldn't count on that," Sakura whispered, turning on her heal and walking calmly back up the stairs_

…

"Damn it Manami!" Kotetsu shouted and rounded to hurry up the stairs quickly "Did you put something in my shampoo again?!"

_Vengeance is sweet,_ Sakura thought with a grin, suppressing a chuckle when Ayako looked at her sharply only to lose it as a scream tore out of the up stairs bathroom. _Time to go_ "Bye mom, see you later!"

"Sakura!" Ayako called out disapprovingly, only Sakura's laugher answered her as she burst out of the house, her long pink hair flying after her like wings. "Heavens, what am I going to do with that child?" Ayako asked herself as she turned down the stove and moved towards the stairs; only to be stopped at the sight of Kotetsu restraining a towel clothed Manami on the staircase. Both siblings stiffened at the sight of her, both of their once Onex black hair was now a bright, vibrant...red. Ayako couldn't hold it back, she collapsed with laughter leaning against the wall for support as both siblings pouted at her.

"It's not funny!" they both shouted, Manami hurrying up the stairs to dry off and change while Kotetsu helped Ayako back to her feet.

"Handsome," Ayako giggled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her husband's cheek affectionately, "Although you're cute with black hair, I think I can get used to this new color..."

"Ayako," Kotetsu said with a bright blush staining his cheek, "If we're not careful we'll end up needing to buy a house with more rooms."

"Get the kids, please" Ayako winked at him and turned on her heal, chuckling as she went back to taking care of breakfast. Kotetsu thumped his head on the wall and turned to go back up the stairs for their two children, their son Sora (4) and their daughter Tsukiko (2), Sora looked like his mother with his father's cat-eyes (but with his mother's eye-coloring) and Tsukiko looked like her father with her mother's blue-green eyes.

…

* * *

…

He gritted his teeth around the strip of cloth and pulled the knot tight, hissing at the pain that erupted up his arm from the nasty slash he received earlier that morning. Over the passed six years his skill in evasion and Taijutsu has increased and he even gained a sixth sense over the years, knowing that a group of trees was bad or he shouldn't go in a certain direction—all based on his gut feeling. As teams of hunter Nin chased after him, most of which he avoided, he grew in the skills that he had developed living in the streets as a kid. He got better with a long blade, a really long knife, using it like some would use a sword, he went in and out of thug gangs, some with shinobi and others without but he never stayed with them long.

Panting he thumped his head against the cave's wall and glared at the three bodies laying before him, he didn't like taking out useless nobodies who're too scared to show their faces but when they tried to 'capture' him, he decided they weren't worth the effort of sparing. Kicking at the closest body, he pulled himself up slowly and dug into his back pocket like he always did after a long and hard fight. The palm sized leather pouch flipped open to show two smiling pinkette's, one older with dancing, mismatched eyes, one blue one emerald. The younger one had emerald eyes, one more blue then green, her hair was just as long as her mother's and pulled back in the matching style.

_Maihime... Ayame..._ Shizuki thought as he stared at the picture from so long ago, nearly three years before the monster's birth. Although it had been Ayame who ended up naming the monster, he refused to acknowledge the girl's existence. Well, so long as she didn't embarrass him he ignored her existence, which was difficult when she was always embarrassing him, as if mocking him for taking his wife away from him. Shizuki flipped the little leather pouch closed and hobbled over to search the bodies carefully, although he hated the legalized serial killers, he had to admit, they carried some useful tools.

"B-boss you there?" a shaky voice of a young man called as he entered the mouth of the cave

"Where the hell have you been?" Shizuki hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously in the morning light filtering in through the opening.

"I-I've be-been inn th-the vill-village" the boy answered with a flinch, "I-I thought you'd be ha-happier i-if I-I got you a-a picture..." he hobbled forward and held out large yellow envelop to him with shaking hands, as if he expected a beating but was still hoping for the best out come.

"What is it?" Shizuki asked as he snatched the envelop from him and sat back to open it curiously

"You-you're always looking at those o-old pi-pictures," the boy stuttered, Shizuki listened as he opened the yellow envelop and stared dumbly at the handful of pictures inside "S-so I thought, maybe you'd like... some... some n-newer... ones?" Shizuki flipped through the pictures quickly, his eyes filling with furiously and his teeth grinding as he found nothing but smiling faces staring up at him in mockery.

"NO! Damn her!" Shizuki threw the pictures at the wall in front of him, the boy flinching back with a face of confusion. "Monster! Damn that monster to the even hells!" he grabbed one of the nearby kunai knifes and started stabbing at the closest body widely, ignoring the horror on the boy's face as he watched him. "Monster! Damn that monster! How dare she! She was supposed to be miserable! It's her fault! Everything's her fault! Monster! Monster! Damn that monster! Damn her to the seven hells!"

It would be an hour before his fury had ebbed enough for his body to sag into sleep beside the three corpses, the boy counted to fifty slowly before he decided to move forward slowly. Reaching over he gently pried the bloodied blade from his master's hand before he dared to move his master, pulling the bigger and older man further back into the resting area of the cave. He had known that the picture of the two women were pressure to his master, he thought that he was groupie because he couldn't go home to see them. So he had hired a man to search out and take some updated pictures of the pinkette he found in the hidden leaf village, it took time to find her, time to take the pictures without getting caught, arrested or misunderstood, and then it took him several more months to find them again to hand over the photos and get paid.

_Why is he so mad?_ The boy thought returning to the main part of the cave with the corpses and photos. _I thought he'd be happy..._ he sighed as he grouched and started to collect the photos carefully, he didn't want them to get bloodied or ruined, his master might want them later. Lifting one up he stared curiously at the girl smiling up at him, her emerald eyes dancing in the morning sunlight, her skin lightly tanned and her long pink tresses pulled back into a long braid, leaving her bangs to brush at her brows with longer pieces to frame the sides of her face elegantly. Sighing he pushed the dozens of photos into the envelop and set it aside, now turning to examine the three corpses his master had killed just before he returned.

_Huh?_ He stared dumbly at the two black clothed bodies beside him, _hay... _"Wait a... wasn't there a third body?"

…

* * *

…

They were told what to expect when they were sent after him, his past, his crimes, that's why it was optional for them, they didn't have to go but now her teammates were dead, the one most certainly was dead, forcing her to hobble through the woods and pray the boy wouldn't have noticed her absence until it was too late. They're target has gotten better, faster, stronger, since the 'dead or alive' warrant went out for him six years ago and now he has a picture of his daughter the person he hates most in this world. That was why she had to hurry, she had to hurry back to her village, she had to tell her Hokage; warn him about the danger coming for them.

She leaned against a tree and coughed harshly, ignoring the blood dripping down her chin she trudge forward, to the closest village, her hand gripping tightly around the small photo she had taken with her. It was small and easily over looked but her people wouldn't over look it, they'd examine it, clean it and protect the child in it. That was the point of putting her in protective custody, so that monster she called father couldn't get his hands on her so easily.

_Almost there_, she thought, smirking at the sight of the village buildings peaking through the trees, _Almost there..._ she tripped and whimpered as her shoulder slammed hard against a tree, nearly knocking the breath right out of her. _No, not yet... not yet!_ She hobbled forward, if she could get to the village they could help her, they could tend to her wounds and then send her on her way. She moved forward, out of the trees and into the bright sunlight, she ignored the buzzing in her ears, she had to get to her village, she had to get home, she had to warn them.

_No!_ She thought as she blinked and found herself face down in the dirt, _get up! You have to get up!_ She tried, her arms trembling with the effort to move, _get up damn it!_ Her arms gave out and she fell face first again, her mask tumbling free and rolling away, _Get up!_ Still she tried to move foreword, she'd drag herself back to Konoha if she had to.

_I can't,_ she thought, her sight blurring with tears, _I can't go any further..._ she looked down at the crunched up picture in her fist, she had to warn them, she had to protect the girl, she was her only hope now. _Fine then..._ she reached forward with one bloodied hand and started writing in the dirt, hopefully the villagers weren't complete idiots and knew to preserve the scene, or at least knew to take pictures and notes.

"Hay lady! Are you okay?!" her body was jerked to the side and she found herself staring up into warm honey, a face she remembered seeing once as a child forever engraved in her mind.

"Shhh"

"Shhh, you'll be fine now," a different woman said, pressing green glowing palms against her body, "it'll be okay, I can—"

"Sa-av-ve" she coughed hoarsely, holding her trembling hand out to the familiar woman standing nearby, "he-e-er-r..." her eyes rolled, her hand fell and her life ended. The black haired woman sighed, her shoulders fell and her chakra stopped flowing to her hands, no one can revive the dead. She looked over to the note the woman was writing '_he knows, save'_ was that her dyeing message? Her last request? Who the hell was 'he' anyways and did she want to know?

"Shizune what is in her hand?" she jumped at the sound of her name

"Oh right!" Shizune moved forward and quickly pried the woman's hand open and took the small piece of paper clenched in side, "it's a photo." Shizune stated, staring dumbly at the blood-smeared photo, "I can't tell but it looks like someone's smiling under all that blood..."

"We'll clean the picture later," Tsunade sighed, bending to lift the mask into her hands, "We better get her body back to where it belongs..."

"We're going back to Konoha?" Shizune asked surprised

"...it was her last request," Tsunade answered glancing at the bloody but still somehow beautiful black haired woman, "...besides I'm not crossing those gates, you are."

"Yes my lady"

_It's the least I can do for you,_ Tsunade thought, watching Shizune pull out a scroll and seal the woman's body inside, _we'll deliver your dyeing message, you can count on that_

…

* * *

…

Sakura laughed loudly as she ran down the streets, jumping over the crates from several food stalls and weaving through the market place as if she was wind. It wasn't long before a boy with short Onex hair was racing beside her, a smirk on his pale face as they ran through the crowds as if they were an obstacle curse that they couldn't touch.

"What took you so long _Sasuke-kun_?" Sakura asked mockingly, her emerald eyes dancing in the morning sunlight. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of the familiar horde of teenage girls who still chased after him _after_ he graduated from the academy.

"We agreed that you'd never call me that if I was a little nicer to you," Sasuke hissed as he jumped over a wheel barrel and continued after Sakura.

"I'm in a pranking mood," Sakura grinned at him, Sasuke glanced at her before he ducked under a large pane of glass and continued beside her as they both burst out of the market and took a sharp turn towards the academy.

"What'd you do?" Sasuke asked with a resigned expression, as if he finally gave into his curiosity

"You'll see when you meet dad and sis," Sakura answered just as they skidded into the academy grounds, "Ha! I beat you!"

"Did not," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "it was a tie, like always"

"That's the only possibility your brain can handle," Sakura grinned at him, eyes dancing in the sunlight streaming through the branches overhead.

…

* * *

…

"Are-are you ready sir?" he called at the mouth of the cave, eyes lowering as the tall black haired man stepped out beside him, dark emerald eyes scanning azure sky carefully as if searching for a familiar face only he could see.

"Let's go," he murmured, "I have a monster to kill"

"Y-Yes sir..."

It'd take a few hours but they could make it the village hidden in the leaves before anyone knew where to look for them next

…

* * *

…

Tsunade shifted in the hot spring she was taking great pleasure in resting in, the instant she reopened her eyes she locked in on a something long and white off in the distance. Blinking dumbly, she stretched forward bending her head down to look through her hair at the white thing so far away, the tree branch it was attached to shifted and jerked. Narrowing her eyes in thought, Tsunade couldn't help the smirk that spread over her face; slowly she sank back down into the water and moved to the other side where her towel was resting on a large out crop of rocks.

_That better not be who I think it is,_ Tsunade thought, turning her back to the white thing, she stretched against the large rock and propped her head to examine the group of males on the other side of the clearing in their own pool. Secretly Tsunade grabbed the towel, setting it in her lap carefully so that the white thing wouldn't see it and performed one hand sign. Landing in the bushes at the edge of the forest Tsunade quickly wrapped herself up and suppressed her chakra, turning to run towards the white thing so far away.

_He is so dead when I catch up to him_, Tsunade's eyes glinted in the semi-misted area of the hot-spring filled land, there was so many that it was easier to find a random pool in the woods then stay in the town to pay for time in one.

…

* * *

…

He panted as he ran, eager to catch up to his teammates, his friends that he grew up with. If he could get to the market fast enough he could join in on their old race they used to have before they graduated. He stopped to a halt as a flash of crimson flew past him, weaving through the thick mass of early morning market people like the wind tree branches. Grin widening he jumped into the thick mass and tried to follow the crimson blur only to bump into a familiar looking black haired woman as he passed her two others.

"Oh sorry about that Mikoto-chan!" he called as he hurried forward, smiling and waving over his shoulder

"Be more careful Naruto-kun!" the woman chuckled with a wave, her husband and eldest son both at her side, "Make sure to work as a team!"

"Yes ma'am!" Naruto shouted returning to his run full speed ahead.

…

_He was out later then normal one day, playing in the light snow that had fallen that day, taking delight with his imaginary friends. He spent hours in the park, throwing snow balls with the other kids then at a few adults to get them to join in, after a while they all left and he was left tagging those few unlucky few who got to close to his playgrounds. But as the 'day' turned into 'night' (really it only got darker by a small, unnoticeable amount) the park fell empty, leaving him to play with shadows of trees and bushes. Slipping on the bridge as he ran over the icy trap, he banged his head and rolled off the edge, hitting the hard ground beneath and rolling towards the frozen surface of the river nearby._

"_ow~" he hissed and pushed himself up, rubbing at his head and looking around himself curiously, the first thing he noticed were two small bodies huddled up together under the bridge, one sniffling as if she'd been crying uncontrollably for some time._

_The girl was even smaller then him, her faintly pink hair was a tangled mess of a sloppy bun on top of her head, her red rimmed eyes were as green as spring grass, her skin as pale as the snow that covered her. The boy was just as pale as her but his hair was dark Onex with a blue tint and his eyes were as black as coals. She was dirty and dressed in a dirty white dress that was three sizes too big for her and a little pink blanket that was more of a shawl then a blanket on her. The boy was dressed in a thick Onex coat that was shiny and new looking, his black gloved hands were holding her trembling ones, his black and blue knit hat sat snuggly on his head._

…

* * *

…

_Thwack!_

"Ow!"

"Jiraya! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Tsu-Tsunade-Hime~"

After beating Jiraya to an inch of his life, Tsunade dragged the wounded man to her hotel room where Shizune was waiting for her. After getting dressed and fixing most of Jiraya's wounds, Tsunade sat down on the edge of the bed where she laid Jiraya out.

"Alright you old buffoon, I'll forgive your stunt on one condition," Tsunade said, giving her white haired teammate a glare and crossing her arms.

"Eh~ is it possible that you've finally fallen for my charm~?" Jiraya asked with a lecherous grin

_Thwack_

"Please proceed" Jiraya whimpered, rubbing at his cheek were a perfect handprint throbbed against his tanned cheek.

"I need you to take a scroll and message to Sarutobi-sensei," Tsunade said rising to pull her suitcase a little closer and opened it to retrieve the scroll. "A kunochi died trying to send him a message, this contains her body."

"And her message?" Jiraya asked, looking at the scroll that now contained the young woman's body, sad that another beauty had died in the surface of her village

"'He knows, save her'," Tsunade repeated, as if she had it inscribed on her heart. "This was in her hand," Tsunade pulled out a small paper and passed it over to him

"Huh? Tsunade-Hime isn't this your pregnant apprentice?" Jiraya asked staring at the two smiling faces in the photo

"Maihime wasn't my apprentice," Tsunade scolded with a frown, "I may have been teaching her a thing or two but she wasn't my apprentice. Anyways no that's not Maihime, that older one looks an awful lot like her eldest daughter Ayame."

"And the younger girl?" Jiraya asked, frowning at the picture in his hand

"I'm guessing that's the girl Maihime died giving birth too," Tsunade shrugged, "I remember Maihime jabbering off a long list of possible names but I don't remember the one she settled on."

"Let me get this straight, you want me to take this woman's body, her message and this photo back to Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraya asked, Tsunade nodded in agreement, "Why can't you do it? What were you going to do? Walk around until you came across a leaf Nin and pawn her off to them?"

"Don't be stupid," Tsunade snapped at Jiraya, "I was going to return to the village, have Shizune walk _into_ the village and hand the scroll and picture over to Sensei and leave."

"You weren't actually going to enter the village?" Jiraya asked curiously, earning a snort of amusement from Tsunade, "Alright then," he sighed, rubbing at his temple, "I'll cut my meeting short and head back to the village..." A large grin spread over his face, his eyes bright and sparkling as he stared at a suspicious looking blonde "On the condition that you heal me~"

"...I'll get Shizune to do it," Tsunade rolled her eyes and stood from the bed, "Don't forget the message."

"Right, right, 'He knows, save her'," Jiraya recited grin still in place as Tsunade walked out of his room, leaving him to frown down at the picture in his hands. "Little Hime, what did you get yourself into?"

…

* * *

…

His smile brightened when he reached the end of the market and took a sharp left to hurry into the academy, eyes widening as he saw two blurs barrel into the academy grounds. He took down the clear road just as fast as they did and followed them into the academy grounds laughing as he slammed into his teammates and tackled them to the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura laughed as Sasuke shouted at him, "Get off!" Naruto laughed as he was forcefully pushed off his teammates, grinning up at them as they sat up and mock-glared at him. While Sasuke and Naruto remained one-upping each other in the academy, trying desperately to become Rooky of the year and retaining the title, it was Sakura who helped Naruto with his studying and paper tests. No matter what Sasuke did, he could never match her intelligence scores, even if he was barely beating her in their physical requirements when they were still students, it was what kept them together in the academy and what made them a team when they graduated.

…

"_Hay are you guys okay?" he asked hurrying to huddle with them under the bridge, "Shouldn't you both be home by now?"_

"_Shouldn't you?" the boy shot back with a frown and glare, "Wouldn't your parents get worried about you staying out so late?"_

"_I don't have any," he shot back, unfazed by the question and not showing the stab of pain he felt in his chest._

"_I-I ki-killed m-my mommy," the girl sniffed, trying to smile encouragingly up at him but only managed to wince and shiver instead._

"_Eh? That's not how you introduce yourself to someone!" he chuckled at her taking a seat at her other side, "You're supposed to say your name first!" she just blinked dumbly at him, apparently she didn't understand him. "Like this, follow me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm five!"_

"_My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm five," she mimicked, her eyes staring dully up at him, _

"_No! No! Don't mimic me!" Naruto shouted annoyed, "Tell me your name and age!" her head tilting the side curiously, earning a long-suffering sigh from the boy on her other side._

"_My name is Sasuke Uchiha and I'm five years old," he said, nodding his head at her for her to try, understanding dawning on her with his introduction._

"_Umm I-I think I ha-have two-two names..." she stuttered out, shivering in the cold_

"_Well do you have a dad?" Naruto asked carefully_

"_Uh-huh," She nodded and seemed to look a little worried around herself, as if she was expecting someone to jump out and scare her._

"_Well what dose he call you?" Naruto asked, not noticing the look_

"_Monster" she answered softly,_

"_What's your other name?" Sasuke asked with a frown_

"_m-my sissy c-calls me-e S-Sakura"_

"_Then your name is Sakura," Sasuke said, staring into 'Sakura's' eyes seriously, "the word 'monster' isn't a name, it's an insult. So that means your name is 'Sakura', use that from now on, okay?" she nodded in understanding, "now do you know how old you are?" she shook her head with a slight frown "What dose your sister say about your age? Do you know when you were born?"_

"_Sissy says I-I was b-born f-five year-years ago o-on M-May 28__th,__" Sakura answered with a slight up turn of her lips, not a smirk and not a smile but just enough to be noticed._

"_That means your five years old!" Naruto said loudly, "you're the same age as us!"_

…

After that day in the cold and snow Naruto and Sasuke had walked her to the Uchiha compound, where Itachi, Mikoto and Shisui greeted them warmly. Mikoto had become suspicious when she returned Sakura to her home, asking Sasuke and Naruto a lot of questions about the girl they had brought to her. They had answered carefully and to the best of their ability, Naruto repeating her first words to him had seemed to strike a cord in the older woman, her face paled and her eyes winded. Fugaku and Itachi had been listening and when Mikoto had lost words to say he spook up and told her that an 'investigation' would be set in place. Two years later Naruto understood that the 'investigation' was actually them trying to prove that Sakura's father was abusing her and her older sister; only to prove it too late when said older sister ended up dead.

"Ne~ Sakura-chan, are you ready for the first portion?" Naruto asked sitting up to examine her outfit, it seemed like she wore a new one for every special occasion.

"Of course I'm ready," Sakura pouted at him, lifting a hand to brush back a long lock of pink hair. Of course, she was still wearing her red sleeveless dress, this one looked like it was made out of heavy leather and lined with silk, Naruto betted that she had managed to put in a protective layer of cloth between them to keep her dress from being torn or burnt. Like most of her dresses, it circled around her throat snugly and hugged her body down to her hips where it flared out into a whimsical skirt that brushed at her knees even with the two wide slits running up both sides of her black clothed thighs. Her black belt held two packs on each side of her hips and her white shin guards sat snugly over her black sandals and black knee high socks. Her black, red-rimmed gloves had a single white circle on the back of her palms; her navy blue coat was short and seemed to be too big to fit her.

"I can't say the same about you two," Sakura chuckled, looking both boys up and down with a grin, "Good thing I grabbed these before I left," Sakura threw her blue coat at Sasuke, "There are a pair of pants and a shirt wrapped in that, yes they don't have your clan mark because we'll be needing every bit of a help as we can get in there."

"Sakura-chan you're wearing your clan mark!" Naruto whined, flinching when Sakura through a white bag in his face

"It's not a clan mark," Sakura said rolling her eyes as she rose to her feet and dusted herself off, "it's my family mark. My sister, mother and grandmother all wore them." Naruto fell silent at the mention of Sakura's elder sister; everyone knew that the two had been close and that it had nearly broken her when her father had killed her.

"Come on you two, you have to change before we get to our assigned classroom," Sakura grinned and offered both boys her hands, smiling sadly Naruto took her offered hand and Sasuke stood on his own, simply brushing his hand against her's as he passed to enter the academy.

"Sasuke-Teme!" Naruto shouted as he hurried after the boy with Sakura at his side, still smiling at them even as the two boys started to argue loudly.

…

* * *

…

Jiraya sighed as he walked through the gates of his home village, he liked returning with good news or for a short vacation; not packing a body, a strange message _and_ feeling like the two dark haired males following behind him were silently planning his murder.

_I better get to Sarutobi sensei ASAP_, Jiraya thought, jumping to a nearby roof. He barely even glanced at the two darkly dressed figures who hesitated a moment before moving further into the civilian sector of the village.

…

* * *

…

Sakura all but skipped her way up the steps of the academy, for once in their lives her teammates actually looked like ninja. Both boys were dressed in the khakis that most Jonin and chunin wear, along with the black long sleeved turtlenecks. The only thing either one had that was their favorite color was their vest jackets, Sasuke's was black edged in blue with a hood and a few pockets lined in blue stripes and buttons. Naruto was basically in the same thing but in orange and black and with long wide sleeves that ended about wrist level. Both boys accepted Sakura's extra shin and arm guards that were dressed in purest white with a hidden kunai contraption that held twenty kunai. The boy's headbands still sat soundly on their foreheads while Sakura let hers hold back the majority of her hair, keeping the shorter strands that didn't want to stay in her braid back from getting in her vision. As team seven reached the staircase to the third floor, the boys paused and headed towards a nearby hall that was filled with other genin.

"Oi what are you two doing?" Sakura asked as she caught up with them, her hands on her hips, "the third floor is above us."

"Relax Sakura I'm just curious," Sasuke said continuing forward and ignoring the whispers of a few nearby genin, "Come on let's check it out, okay?"

"Yeah Sakura-chan what could it hurt?" Naruto asked with a big grin

"If we miss the dead line I have full rights to run the next training day," Sakura warned as she rolled her eyes and followed the boys to the center of the commotion. Both boys glanced at each other worriedly but trudged forward regardless.

_Thwack!_

"Oh that had to have hurt," Sakura winced peeking over both boy's shoulders to look at the scene in front of her, she stared dumbly at the two boys standing in front of the doorway with smirks on their faces.

"Ch, little girls should go home and play with their dolls," the brunet one commented, "the chunin examines aren't to be taken lightly ya' know."

_That sexist a**!_ Sakura thought turning to glare at the boy, her room just so happened to be filled with 'dolls'

"Yeah, some contestants end up giving up their careers after an examine," the black haired boy grinned at the group, "Some end up dead—"

"Nii-san, Oto-san what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, blinking at the two boys who suddenly stiffened and looked at her with slightly wide eyes.

"Eh~ Sakura-chan did you have to blow our cover?" the brunet asked with a pout at her, neither boy released their transformations

"Don't look like your younger selves and your covers won't get blown," Sakura answered, rolling her eyes, "So this is a test to take out the weaker contestants for the examine right?"

"Right," Isomu grinned, his dark eyes smiling at her, "I take it we gave it away for you?"

"No the horde of idiots did," Sakura answered pointing with her thump at the mass surrounding her, "I can get the foreign kids getting caught for that petty genjutsu Oto-san but seriously, our own genin should know better then to have fallen for it."

"This is our old academy" Sasuke said with a smirk at the two boys, putting his hands in his pockets "for them not to have noticed something wrong is a little embarrassing."

"Oh geez you guys," Naruto laughed, eyes dancing as he stared at his teammates, "you guys aren't shy about making enemies!"

"Says the boy who dyed the entire school _orange_," Sakura chuckled snapping around and gesturing for the boys to move back the way they came.

"And put ink in the teacher's water cooler," Sasuke added, shaking his head in amusement

"Oh come on guys that happened _once_!" Naruto whined following Sakura and Sasuke further down the hall, back towards the stairs they were originally going for

"You hospitalized three teachers," Sakura replied, "none of them dared to go near the water coolers since!"

"Not my fault they're scaredy cats," Naruto mumbled throwing his hands behind his head, "I never pull the same prank twice..."

"Yet you have every chunin carrying around a mirror and double checking their hair whenever they see you," Sasuke snickered

"How many times do I have to say that I didn't do that one?!" Naruto whined, neither boy saw the proud looking grin on Sakura's face

"Face it Dube, Orange is you signature," Sasuke smirked at him

"Ahh! When I find out who did that I'm gonna pummel them!" Naruto shouted raking his fingers through his hair

_A secret to my grave_, Sakura thought, her grin widening. After realizing that Naruto was the fourth's son, Sakura had put some special hair dye in the men's bathhouse, what made the dye special was that it was attracted to hair and not skin. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken into account that most of the men who happened to use that bathhouse next were a bunch of chunin. So instead of prancing a bunch of civilians (mostly the meaner ones) with mood changing hair dye, a bunch of legalized chunin got hit with the prank; the next day the waters were changed, the shampoos and conditioners were changed and the towels were burned and replaced.

No one figured out that she had done it and she was determined to keep it that way

…

* * *

…

"Ah Jiraya-kun, what's brought you back to the village?" Hiruzen asked with a fond smile at his white haired student

"A message from Tsunade-Hime," Jiraya answered seriously "She found one of your Anbu kunochi's in a village nearby, she's died on what ever mission you sent her on." Jiraya reached into his robe and pulled out a small crimson scroll and a mask, "Shizune sealed her body in this, her dyeing message was 'he knows, save her'."

"'He knows, save her'?" Hiruzen repeated dumbly, reaching forward and taking hold of the mask set on his desk, "oh, this is Kaname-chan's mask," his eyes widened in realization, "Jiraya did Tsunade find only Kaname-chan or did she find her teammates as well?"

"Just Ms Anbu" Jiraya answered with a frown of his own, his hands patting over his large crimson jacket repeatedly, "I know I put it somewhere... now where is it?"

"What are you looking for now?" Hiruzen chuckled, trying to remember what mission he had sent Kaname's team on, wasn't it something to do with their so-called Kageoni? No that couldn't have gotten them killed, it was a recon mission...

"Ah ha!" Jiraya shouted in triumph, pulling out a small slip of paper from his pants pocket and handed it over to Hiruzen, "Ms. Anbu had this in her hand; Tsunade cleaned it up out of curiosity."

"I see," Hiruzen smiled and shook his head, taking the paper in hand he stared at the slip of paper curiously. It didn't take him long to recognize the faces smiling up at him, Kaname's message rang coldly in his mind, making him snap to his feet with an urgent call to his nearest guard.

"Get to the Hagane house hold and put them into hiding!" Hiruzen all but yelled at the young man who appeared kneeling before his desk, "that includes Sakura-chan! Make sure she's hidden as well!"

"Whoa what'd I'd just stumble on?" Jiraya asked with wide eyes as

…

* * *

…

"Excuse me miss!" Sakura felt someone jerk back on her arm to spin her around and she answered with a fist to the person's face. Sakura blinked in startled bewilderment as the person who jerked back on her arm had also caught her fist before it made impact, narrowing her eyes she threw a kick at her capture and retreated to her teammate's sides when he released her. Naruto and Sasuke instantly fell to either side of her with kunais drawn and stances low, the mission to wave taught them to stand close and to be on guard, they were determined not to be caught off guard twice.

"Ah I apologize Miss I didn't mean to startle you," the boy said, his hands raised in a placating manner and a smile on his face. "No need to get violent I only want to speak to you," the boy had a bowl hair cut, big perfectly round eyes, tanned skin and hands wrapped in enough bandages to hide the skin beneath them. Sakura could see the muscles beneath the green suite, and the strange tilt to his fingers told her that his knuckles were heavily damaged and most likely were broken several times with little to no healing time between breaks.

He wasn't someone she wanted to get into a Taijutsu fight with

"So speak," Sasuke ordered to her right, lifting one kunai just a little higher as his eyes flashed back and forth between black and red, like he was fighting to activate his Sharingan.

"My name is Rock Lee!" the boy proclaimed loudly, kneeling between both boys to clasp Sakura's hand, "oh beautiful flower of Konoha, please be my girlfriend! I will always protect you!"

"Hell no!" Naruto shouted rising to his feet and putting his blade away; Sasuke and Sakura remained dumb struck, neither moving from their low stances as they continued to stare dumbly at the boy in front of them.

"I didn't ask you," Lee said turning to look at Naruto curiously, "Why do you speak for the pink flower? Can she not speak for herself?"

"She's a little too horrified at the moment!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Lee with a shaking finger, "You aren't good enough for Sakura-cha—"

"Naruto," Sakura called with a soft sigh, said blond snapped around to watch her straighten and return her blades to the pouch on her leg. "Be nice we'll end up facing him in the rounds to come, the last thing we need is a Taijutsu master gunning after us."

"Huh? Taijutsu master?" Naruto questioned

"Ah you truly are a flower of Konoha!" Lee gushed, "Please be my girlfriend!"

"Excuse me," Lee turned around at the voice and stared up at the two grown men standing threatening just behind him. Team seven instantly stepped close to the wall, hiding smirks and giggles (Sakura) as Lee stared with a pale face up a the towering men.

"What in the seven hells do you think you're doing to my daughter?" Kotetsu asked with a twitching eyebrow and a low, threatening voice.

"I-I was asking he-her to be-be my girlfriend," Lee stuttered out, sweating slightly as both men's aura's darkened and their glaring intensified.

"D-Daddy" Sakura sniffed from her place on the wall, raising a hand to whip at her eye were a tear was stationed, "I-I don't kn-know where he-he came from... but he-he grabbed my arm a-and—"

"Boy do you have a death wish?" Isomu asked threatening, reaching over his shoulder for the large shiriken still stationed there, "We can kick you out of the examine right now—"

"Sorry for the misunderstanding!" a brunet girl shouted as she dived forward and wrapped her arm around Lee's neck, hulling him off down the hall as her pale eyed teammate followed closely with a glare at Sasuke and a 'so sorry' to the guards.

"You guys rock," Sakura grinned stepping away from the wall and holding out her arm for her father and brother to examine closely.

"Man that's your dominate hand," Isomu grumbled lowly

"Doesn't look like he left a mark," Kotetsu sighed, sweeping a lightly glowing palm over her arm, "no damage done."

"Eh~ Oto-san did you get new hair dye before you came over?" Sakura asked with a grin

"Yes, your mother went out and got it for us before we headed over," Kotetsu said with an irated look at Sakura

"'U-us'?" Sakura repeated softly with a paler then normal face

"Yes, your sister is looking for blood," Kotetsu smirked

"Latter dad, have a nice day!" Sakura yelled down the hall dragging both of her teammates after her as she ran.

"You're evil," Isomu chuckled bumping fists with his child hood friend

"I don't see how," Kotetsu smirked, "I merely told the truth."

…

* * *

…

"What's going on?" Ayako asked, lifting her daughter into her arms and clasping Sora's hand as the Anbu member pushed them urgently from her house

"It's for your safety Ms," The man said lifting her son into his arms, Ayako following him closely as he jumped to the roof of her house, "Do you know where your elder daughter, Sakura, is?"

"She's in the—"

"_Ayame_"

Her body frozen on her rooftop; turning wide, terrified miss-matched eyes down to the crowded street before her house. Ayako knew just where to look to find the dark eyes of the man who terrified her the most in this world, her body was frozen as he stared up at her from his place a block down from her house.

"Damn it!" the Anbu team who arrived at her house surrounded her, one pulling Tsukiko from her numb arms and another lifting her onto his back.

They ran to the Hokage tower like the hounds of hell were on their heals

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Flames are lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 21**


	3. Chapter 3

**Innocent secrets**

Chapter 3: second round: enemies

Koomahana

**I had trouble making this the same length as the others, I hope it turned out well**

**I didn't fit everything that I wanted to into this chapter but I can put it in the next one **

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

Sakura chuckled as Naruto charged at Lee and went headfirst straight into the nearest wall, shaking her head in amusement Sakura stepped forward to wake up her teammate only to have Sasuke charge past her and engaged Lee in a fight.

_Did neither of you listen to me?_ Sakura thought with a sigh, shaking her head Sakura walked around the two fighting boys, ignoring their fight for the most part, not wanting to get pulled into the mix when they didn't have much time.

"Now stop it right there!" Sakura's eyes immanently snapped up to look at the two boys high in the air, seeing Lee twist away from Sasuke, Sakura gasped and hurried to Sasuke's approximate landing place. Coughing as he slammed into her, Sakura skidded back a few feet before she landed against the floor with Sasuke in her lap.

"S-Sakura," Sasuke coughed, only to wince when Sakura thumped him on the head "Ow! What was that for?"

"Didn't either one of you listen to me or at least notice Lee-san's outfit?" Sakura asked pushing Sasuke off of her so she could wake up Naruto, "He doesn't have one, _not one_ weapon on him. What dose that tell you?"

"Extreme close range," Sasuke sighed; rubbing at his swore head as Sakura crawled over to Naruto and started to shake him.

"Naruto... wake up," Sakura ordered, wincing as she remembered the ruse Sensei had used on him during their last mission. "The Ramen nation is being gobbled up by the great and fearsome Oni. If you don't do something soon there won't be even one noodle left for you,"

"Hmm, no, my ramen," Naruto murmured sleepily

"Hurry Naruto, the Ramen nation needs your help," Sakura said shaking his shoulder gently, "If you don't hurry it'll be eaten all up before you can save them..."

"No~ my ramen..."

"Hurry, wake up, Ichiraku's is next—"

"NO! My ramen!" Naruto slammed into a sitting position, his face was white and twisted into a look of utter horror. "Huh?"

"Naruto are you done?" Sakura asked, sitting back from him and looking like she was mildly annoyed with him, "We have ten minutes to get to class before we're disqualified because you fell a sleep before it even started."

"Huh? Oh right Sakura-chan!" Naruto laughed, scratching his head nervously, "Hay what happened to bushy brows?" Naruto asked turning to look around the large room curiously, only to have his eyes land on a large red turtle... scolding Lee.

"Come on you guys," Sakura sighed, seeing what her two teammates were staring at with such perplexed expressions. Noting how neither moved, Sakura grabbed Naruto's ear and Sasuke's arm, hulling both boys to their feet and walking towards their designated hall.

"S-Sakura-chan," Naruto stuttered out, his eyes still locked onto the red turtle who now had an older version of Lee standing on his back, "Is-is it normal for animals to talk?"

"Only summon animals can talk," Sakura answered pulling both boys closer to their hall, "come on we don't have much time left."

…

* * *

…

"You've already confirmed his presence?" Hiruzen asked, already on his feet and staring at the team that surrounded Ayame and her two children protectively

"Yes sir," the captain confirmed, "unfortunately we weren't able to take her away before he saw her." The Hokage cursed, rubbing his old hands through his hair as he tried to think of something to protect the girls he tried so hard to hide away for the past six years.

"Have you been able to locate Sakura Haruno?" Hiruzen asked, trying to breathe calmly so he could think straight

"The second Ayako-san felt his presence she froze up," the captain sighed, not liking it either, "We don't know where she is."

_Damn it!_ Hiruzen sat in his chair heavily, "they don't leave this office until we find a secure location for them to be hidden in."

"Yes sir," the team hobbled the woman to the other end of his office, setting the frightened children close to her. Sliding down the corner of the wall, Ayako pulled her children close and started to rock back and forth, her eyes wide with terror and her face pale like snow.

It'd be a while before they were able to get anything out of the frightened woman

_If we don't find Sakura before Shizuki then he's going to try to kill her_, Hiruzen thought, rubbing a hand over his face. ..._again..._

"I'm still waiting to be filled in," Jiraya called from where he leaned against the wall, he shook his head and gave out a heavy sigh, was he destined to be left out of all the important things in life?

"Here" Hiruzen threw a file in Jiraya's face; ignoring the look his student gave him Hiruzen dived back into his memories from seven years before. Hiruzen recalled Shizuki's stunt when Sakura was five, leaving her out in the snow and expecting her to die from it but he didn't expect her to leave their back yard and seek out warmth on her own. When she had been returned he acted as if he thought that she was still in bed and that she snuck out of the house to play in the snow regularly.

Needless to say, Mikoto had a fine eye for liars; she was smart enough to bring it to both her husband and his attention. Her actions towards the Haruno sisters is what had ultimately saved her clan from annihilation, the council had been brought together and briefed on what the Uchiha matriarch knew. Fugaku's insistence on letting his police task force try to put together a case against Shizuki Haruno and try him to the fullest extent of the law (instead of just barging in, killing Shizuki and sweeping the girls away from the house like they had been planning) had Danzo snorting and asking why he was so determined to protect two nobody little girls, wondering—out loud—if they served some kind of purpose to him. In return Fugaku said that he hated people who abused children, regardless of their social standing or ranking; there was a fine line between teaching and abusing. In short, the two clan heads had single handedly threw Danzo's conspiracy theories out the window in a matter of seconds, the Haruno girl's predicament had literally saved the Uchiha clan.

Not that either one knew it, it remained as a council secret that would be taken to each of their graves

…

* * *

…

Sakura laughed as Ino wrapped herself around Sasuke like a boa constrictor, earning a glare from the boy, a pout from the girl and a hysterically laughing Naruto who looked like he was inches away from falling to the floor. It wasn't long before Shikamaru and Chōji joined them, after sharing a few words (grumbled complaints from Sasuke to Ino) with them, team eight; Hinata, Kiba and Shino, approached them and the nine of them talked cheerfully together until an older genin approached them.

"Hay you guys be quite will ya?" the boy asked approaching them with a smile, "the chunin exam isn't a reunion ya know. Some of the contestants are a little edgy and are likely to snap easily" Sakura's smile was completely disarming, making the older gray haired boy blush lightly at her

"Sounds like they're too green to be here," Sakura chimed, earning amused snorts from her teammates and stunned silence from everyone else. "After all a chunin must keep a calm and clear head at all times, if a group of chatting teens sets them off then they don't belong in the exams much less walking around with a headband. It'd be best if they went to see a physiologist or just quite all together; heaven knows there are enough unstable shinobi out there without our generation's help."

The boy stared shocked at Sakura, not too sure how she managed to counter his scare tactic so easily

"Umm okay how about this, look behind you," they did so, teams eight and ten looked very confused because nothing but empty pace and a wall greeted their confused looks, "See the rain nin there?" the two teams turning back around to look behind team seven, staring curiously at the glaring nin in question. "They're from a small village that no one really knows anything about," the boy said, "Anything could set them off, I was telling you so you wouldn't end up six feet under before the exam even started."

"You do realize that would create a huge political bramble right?" Sakura asked turning to look up at the boy with an innocent expression and cutely tilted head, "For foreign shinobi to attach the hosting village during the chunin exam would set a war between the two villages in question and after a few years both would call upon their allies to aid in the fight and that would lead to another Great Shinobi World War, considering that all five great hidden villages _and_ all the minor hidden villages would fighting each other." Naruto and Kiba snickered together; Hinata gave a shy smile; Ino smirked at the gray haired boy; Shikamaru and Sasuke shared an amused look and no one could tell Shino's reaction.

"In case you haven't noticed, Sakura-chan is the smartest rooky of our year," Shikamaru smirked at him, "she graduated with the highest scores since Sasuke's older brother, Itachi."

"And if a certain someone didn't get me disqualified in a certain exam I would have beaten his record," Sakura said with a nasty glare shot at Naruto

"I said I was sorry," Naruto grumbled with a pout at her; honestly, his spit wad had been pointed at the test examiner, Sakura just had bad timing. It wasn't even the fact that she turned around and started yelling at him for the stunt that got her disqualified from the exam; it was the fact that she lifted up chairs, tables, books—and anything else she could get her hands on—and started to _throw_ them at him.

"You ruined my record," Sakura growled lowly, her eyes glinting darkly at him

"Okay you guys aren't getting my point," the boy sighed, drawing Sakura's attention away from Naruto "Why don't I just show you eh?" he pulled out a large deck of orange cards for everyone to see, "These are my ninja cards, I store information on them, give a description of a participant you're curious about and I'll show you their stats." The nine rookies all looked at each other curiously, none really having much of a thought on the matter "oh come on, your not telling me that you're not even a little curious about someone?"

"I don't trust people who don't introduce themselves," Sakura replied, rolling her eyes

"My apologies," he sighed, crouching between the nine kids and setting his deck on the ground carefully, "My name is Kabuto Yakushi, now will you give me a description or name of someone you're curious about?" Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura, who shrugged carelessly at them

"Gaara Sabaku," Sasuke said instantly, "Rock Lee and um... Hinata we came across an older boy who looked a lot like you but was teammates with Rock Lee, do you know him?"

"N-Neji-Nii-san?" Hinata stuttered out, her face draining of what little color it did hold

"Right and Neji Hyūga," Sasuke said turning back to Kabuto with a sure bob of his head; Sakura couldn't hide her soft snicker, "What?" Sasuke asked with a frown at his teammate, preventing Kabuto from commenting on his choice

"It's so like you to get someone else to do your homework for you," Sakura giggled, "Seriously why didn't you just sit down with the boys and talk to them or something?"

"I am doing 'or something'," Sasuke rolled his eyes, pointing at Kabuto who snickered softly at them. "Innless you like spending time with Lee this was the best option," Sakura paled and nodded in agreement

"Oh I have someone," Ino said bouncing in her place as Kabuto stopped to look up at her curiously, "I wanna see Sakura Haruno's stats!"

"Oi! What the hell?!" Sakura asked rounding onto the blonde in irritation, not even seeing that Kabuto was doing as he was asked, curious about her himself he intended to draw her up first "Why me? Don't you have a 'Sasuke Uchiha' obsession?"

"Yeah but you've always been a little... oh what do they call it?" Ino asked, pretending to think for a moment before smirking at Sakura "Freak of nature, nothing scares you."

"Ino-pig!" Sakura snapped out, taking a swing at the blonde, only to be restrained as both of her teammates jumping on her to keep her back from the blonde.

"Killing others is _bad!_" Naruto wailed loudly, tears forming in his eyes as Sakura continued to strain in his hold.

"She's not worth an _expulsion_," Sasuke grunted, Sakura stilled at the word 'expulsion' her eyes widening and her face paling. "Do you _want_ to get expelled? If you touch her that'll be what happens!"

"Well this is unexpected," Kabuto interrupted before Sakura could respond to her teammates, instantly the rooky generation was paying attention to the gray haired boy crouching beside them. "It says here that Sakura-san watched her father—" Kabuto flinched as suddenly the card in his hands was cut in half, destroying the card and making the information disappear.

"That's none of your damn concern," Sakura growled out lowly, her aura dark as she glared down at Kabuto warningly. At this point not even her teammates were holding her back, looking down at Kabuto with disapproving looks themselves. "I suggest you pick someone else to read—_now _"

"Yes ma'am," Kabuto paled and raised his hands peacefully at Sakura; one look at her pale teammates—who were now struggling to move her away from him—and Kabuto already knew that he didn't want to get into a fight with the pinkette.

…

* * *

…

"_Ayame,_" he looked up and stared dumbly at the group of people his master was looking at. He didn't know there were other people in this world with the same eyes as him. He found himself transfixed on the woman with bright crimson hair but she had his eyes. The little black haired girl in her arms had his eyes too and the little boy in that masked man's arms had the same eyes, their right eyes were blue but their left was green. He watched as the masked ninja split the three between them and disappeared from sight, seemingly running away from them. Did they know who they were? Did that mean that they were going to get back up and then come back to kill them?

"Irochō find a hotel room," he ordered coldly, leaving the boy behind as he vanished from sight

_I wish he wouldn't do that_, the boy, Irochō, thought with a sigh. _It draws attention to us..._

But the boy did as he was told, turning on his heal and walked away from the street to find a hotel they could stay in for a few days... or a few hours... maybe they'd end up running for their lives before they can even get a hotel?

…

* * *

…

"Did you find him?" Hiruzen asked when he saw the captain of the search party for Shizuki Haruno

"Unfortunately," the woman coughed wrapping an arm around her belly, "That man defiantly had shinobi training. It took us _two hours_ to find him and when we did, he took us out without a second thought."

"Your teammates?" he asked softly, fearing the worst

"They're in the hospital," she answered, "I came straight here sir."

"Get to the hospital Tori-san," Hiruzen sighed slumping into his seat and rubbing a tiered hand over his face.

"Sir?" she questioned, "What about—"

"I'll call for Crow-san and Inu-san," Hiruzen cut her off, "now go child, you're bleeding all over my carpet."

"Yes sir," she chuckled, knowing it was his way of saying he was worried about her health.

_Can Inu-kun come out of retirement?_ She thought as she ran across the rooftops and straight for the hospital, _doesn't he have a genin cell to look after?_

…

* * *

…

Sakura laughed at one of Naruto's jokes as they walked out of the academy, Sasuke on her other side as they all walked towards the bus that would take them to the second portion of the test. Although she had been mildly worried for Naruto's predicament, it didn't look like he was able to answer any of the questions on his own, she was pleasantly surprised when he yelled at Ibiki; saying he'd be okay even if he stayed a genin for the rest of his life.

"Got ya!"

"Ino get off!" Sakura laughed, automatically adjusting herself to the blonde's added weight, her hands reflexively slapping around the girl's legs that wrapped around her waist.

"No! Carry me to the bus!" Ino demanded wrapping her arms around Sakura's neck and smiling at her, "come on forehead girl you haven't done this in forever!"

"And for good reason," Sakura chuckled, when Sakura had been admitted into the academy she hadn't been very well liked right away. Most of the girls, Ino included, hated her because she was so close to Sasuke, after a few years they all faded to the back of her world like white noise; leaving only Ino to bug Sakura daily, as if she was trying to remind the pinkette of her existence and some kind of one-sided war between them.

"_Monster,_"

Sakura felt her heart stop as a feeling of ice-cold water washed over her, her eyes widening and her hands losing their grip on the blonde she was carrying. She turned her eyes towards her right, towards the empty section of the street, beyond the group of chunin exam contestants; she swore she could see a tall dark haired man with dark, furious emeralds glaring at her as if every wrong in the world was her fault.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, stepping in front of her and making her focus on him, "you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sakura blinked dumbly at him, shaking her head she moved forward and onto the bus, her face twisting into a frown. "Just a memory..." Ino shared a look with Sasuke and hurried after the pinkette, her own teammates following just as closely. Sasuke turned and looked up the street, activating his Sharingan he glared at the now revealed man just a few dozen feet away.

"Stay away from her if you value your life," he warned coldly, stepping onto the bus and ordering the bus driver to move. He took one look at his red eyes and snapped the door shut and hit the gas all in one fluid movement.

…

_He opened his father's study door, expecting to see the man in the center table reading over another file for a case he refused to share with them. However, his father wasn't there, frowning he stepped into the room, thinking that he must have been in the notch around the corner looking through his files or his books for something. As he stepped further into the semi-dark room and looked around for his father, he saw a large manila folder sticking out between a few heavy looking books. Frowning at the odd placement for the folder, he walked closer curiosity getting the better of him; once he was close enough, he recognized the familiar black strokes of one of his friend's names written on the side._

_**Haruno 981254**_

_Why did __his father__ have a file that had Sakura's surname on it?_

_He reached forward and pulled the file from between the two large books, noting how it was thick but not obviously so. Curious he flipped the file open..._

_A picture of a girl with choppy pink hair laid in a hospital bed, her face was swollen to the point that her eyes were hidden and her mouth was barely visible. She wore a breathing mask, a tight bandage around her head, arms and throat and what appeared to be dozens of tubs were attached to both of her arms. The tubs were all attached to their own bags, four were clear liquids, two were red, three were a yellowish color and one had the sunlight streaming threw it, making it appear to be a faint teal-green color_

_At the bottom of the image was a simple, familiar, name_

_He wished he wasn't so curious_

…

"Sasuke?" he perked up at his name and turned to look at the speaker, seeing worried baby blue eyes just inches from his face.

"Ino..." Sasuke said levelly, "What did I tell you about being so close?" the blonde pouted at him and pulled back, resting her upper body on the back of her seat and pushing her chest up as a result. Sasuke briefly wondered if she was conscious of her actions or if she was just naturally that dense

"You looked so serious Sasuke-kun," Ino pouted at him, "Your eyes were flickering with your Sharingan, are you mad about something?"

"...It's none of your concern," Sasuke said turning away from the blonde and searching out his teammates on the bus. Sakura was asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder; Naruto was beside Ino in front of him having some kind of serious conversation with Kiba; Hinata was sitting beside Shino in the seat just in front of their teammate, listening closely; Shikamaru and Chōji were across from them and in front of Ino and Naruto, Shikamaru appeared to be out cold beside his friend.

Sighing Sasuke moved his arm and adjusted his body, letting Sakura's head slip onto his chest while he wrapped a protective arm around her. He closed his eyes and let the silence in his little bubble lull him to a state of half-aware, half-asleep.

…

* * *

…

"Sir!"

"Did you find Sakura?" he asked snapping around to look at the Anbu team that just landed in his office

"She's in the chunin exam," Kotetsu said coughing as he landed just behind the team, "What's going on Lord Hokage?"

"Shizuki is in the village, we've sent out another team to apprehend him but they haven't returned yet" Hiruzen answered, watching the black haired boy stiffen and automatically search for his wife and children, he hurried over to the bundled up woman and frightened children quickly. "Is Sakura still in the first portion?"

"No Sir they're going to training grounds 44 now," the Anbu captain answered, not watching Kotetsu wrap his arms around his wife and try to calm her down before she had a heart attach.

"Get a team out there and bring Team seven back to the village," Hiruzen ordered, "We have to protect Sakura!" Jiraya watched the captain disappear from sight but he wasn't convinced that they'd get there in time, so he snuck out the closest window and headed straight for the grounds himself.

_In honor of your mother, I won't let you die without a fight!_

Jiraya wasn't aware that he and Hiruzen had made the same pledge, he just felt the need to find the pinkette as quickly as possible. Maybe he'll use his summonings to teleport himself closer to the training grounds...

…

* * *

…

He hissed in pain as a branch nicked the top of his head, maybe holding onto the top of the bus wasn't as smart as he thought it was going to be but what ever. At least he'll know right were the monster was going, he'd be able to follow her if she gets off at any stops.

Then he could kill her like she killed his wife

…

* * *

…

_I can't believe I'm doing this_, Irochō thought with a sigh, running through the high tree branches of fire nation and following his master who was riding the top of the bright yellow school bus, staying just out of his master's range. He avoided the now swarming shinobi of the hidden village, ducking low and twisting painfully to avoid being seen. In a few more minutes, he'd be able to see his master and the large bus he was riding.

…

* * *

…

"You called Lord Hokage?" Kakashi called as he stepped into the office and immanently stiffened at the sight of three familiar Anbu members: two men and a woman with three large wolfs sitting at her feet. "Crow-san, Tenzo, Ookami-chan," Kakashi greeted calmly, Crow was holding a black bag in hand, his head titled curiously at him.

"Kakashi, thank goodness you're here," Hiruzen sighed, "didn't you get my summons?"

"Yeah," Kakashi said slowly, beginning to feel as if he shouldn't have waited his customary two hours before arriving. "He didn't say it was an emergency or anything, just said that you called..."

"Well I hope you're a fast runner," Hiruzen said rising from his seat and holding out a familiar dog mask to him, "because your target has a two and half hour head start on you."

"Sir? I thought I was retired?" Kakashi questioned stopping beside the Anbu team curiously

"Technically," Hiruzen agreed watching Crow hold out the black bag to Kakashi, "but I figured Inu-san wanted to hunt down Shizuki Haruno."

"You've found him?" Kakashi asked stiffly, his eyes sharp on his Hokage

"He's in the village," Now Kakashi was feeling like he should have immanently arrived after the summons "he's targeting one of your students; Sakura Haruno."

Oh hell no!

Kakashi's old mask was in place and he was out the nearest window in the same fluid movement, his temporary teammates hot on his heals.

…

* * *

…

"...Her father is alive isn't he?" her voice was soft in the ruckus of the bus; Sasuke could almost make out the worry and fear tinting her voice. Opening his eyes, he stared up at the blonde who was now staring at Sakura with a broken looking expression, why wasn't he surprised that she already knew about _that_ man? He had been ten when he found the file in his father's office, he had read it and gotten caught by his brother and father in the processes. After explaining things to him so that he understood all the little details, he asked them if he could get some more training from the two.

…

"_I want to protect her," he said with a glare at his father, "If that monster is still out there then she won't be able to do anything against him! I want to protect her from him, how can I do that if I can't even beat you in a spar?!"_

"_Sasuke that man is most likely dead by now," Fugaku sighed_

"_Has anyone seen his body?" Sasuke asked, "If we haven't found his body then we can only assume that he's still alive! If that's the case then he'll come back for her eventually! To finish what he started if nothing else!"_

"_Unfortunately he has a point father," Itachi sighed from his seat between the two, preventing Fugaku from countering his youngest son. "We think he's had some shinobi training, if he's still alive then his skills have only improved."_

"_Improved enough to counter hunter Nin?" Fugaku asked doubtfully_

"_Or at least enough to avoid them" Itachi answered regretfully, "there's been no trace of him since he left. No scent, to foot prints, no trail to follow, he left nothing behind for us to follow."_

_Fugaku closed his eyes and sighed, raising one hand to rub tiredly at the bridge between his eyes, he had Shizuki's picture posted in the most wanted section of every police station around the village, even a few family members posted his picture in other villages around Fire nation and he man was posted in the Bingo books. Yet after so much time they've heard nothing of the man, no witnesses, no tales, nothing to say he was still alive __and__ there was nothing to prove the man's death_

"_Fine," Fugaku sighed, slumping in his seat as if he was about to give an order he wished to avoid at all costs. "We'll speak to your mother about your training, but Itachi can start teaching you __**some,**__" he stressed shooting a look at Itachi "advanced techniques of our clan."_

…

"Sasuke?" Ino asked fearfully, fearing the worst "Is her father alive?"

"...Yes..." He answered softly, just loud enough that she could hear but soft enough that no one else could. He remembered the first time he met Sakura's father when they were five, the man was tall and his eyes dark; there was something wrong with him and he didn't want Sakura to go anywhere near the strange adult.

"...Is he back in the village?" she asked turning worried blue eyes onto him

"Yes" Ino bit her lip and looked back down on Sakura, taking in her sleeping face and soft breathing

"That was him wasn't it?" Ino asked softly her voice barely a whisper, "that man at the academy gates..."

"...Yes," he disliked Shizuki the second he saw him, his dislike growing into hate when he heard what the man had done to Sakura and her sister.

"...Is he going to hurt her?" Ino asked fearfully, turning to look pleadingly at him. It would seem that Ino knew about Sakura's father already, he just didn't know how much she knew.

"Not without a fight," Sasuke answered tucking Sakura a little closer and slumping further into his seat. Closing his eyes, he tried to get some rest before the next portion of the exam. Sasuke may not have noticed the closely listening redhead sitting behind him but Ino did. She stared into the boy's passive jade eyes, unafraid of him because she knew there were worse things in this world then strange little boys wearing too much eyeliner.

…

* * *

…

He threw off his green jacket and clipped his white breastplate on as he ran through the trees, Tenzo quickly caught the jacket while Crow handed him his long sword.

"We've got five minutes till the second round begins," Kakashi informed his teammates, swinging his sword of his head and grabbing the black belt that was tossed to him. "After that it'll be nearly imposable to get to them before Shizuki dose."

…

* * *

…

He knocked out a girl with a music note on her forehead and quickly transformed himself into the red head. He took her scroll and quickly caught up to the boys, mimicking the girl perfectly so that they didn't become suspicious was easy enough; the proctor wasn't nearly as easy.

…

* * *

…

Sakura handed in her slip of paper and pocketed the earth scroll she was given, Naruto and Sasuke were on either side of her conversing cheerfully (okay so Naruto was the cheerful one and Sasuke was trying not to smirk at him). They then followed one of the previous sentinels to their gate and waited patiently for the bell to ring

The bell rang

They ran almost at the same time, racing through the treetops like the wind

Sakura's laughter echoed around them, cheerful and bright like sunlight and bells

…

* * *

…

He audibly cursed as he heard the ringing, knowing just how fast his genin wore he pushed his own Anbu team to move even faster. They had five minutes to find his genin before he'd be forced to summon Pakkun and there was no grantee that his pup could trace her in that mess of a forest.

"How fast are your genin?" Tenzo asked, running at his side

"Fast enough to keep a Jonin on his toes," Kakashi answered, remembering his test for the genin. Sakura was the smartest and fastest hands down, Sasuke was undoubtedly the weapons expert and Naruto was the trap maker. Sakura some how managed to run around him fast enough to kick up dirt with her fans she held in her hands, after awhile Kakashi had to cover his eyes and watch the whirlwind carefully. Naruto through in a few weapons quickly followed by Sasuke's fireball jutsu, Sakura burst out of her self-made tornado and threw an explosive at him. While he had been miffed at having to use substitution so soon, he knew he couldn't underestimate the three childhood friends.

_I better hurry_, Kakashi thought, the three may be strong together but Kakashi knew that none of them would be able to handle Sakura's father. Naruto because he couldn't hurt someone else's family member (especially someone's parent, something he's wanted), Sasuke wouldn't know what to do with a man hell-bent on killing his teammate and Sakura because she would be frozen stiff with fear (the genjutsu he used on her during the bell test was proof enough of that).

"Do you know how they'll react to Shizuki?" Ookami asked as she ran beside them

"Naruto won't be able to hurt him because of his relation to Sakura," Kakashi answered, "Sasuke can't handle a man twice his size with enough hate to make the Kiyobi jealous and Sakura... Sakura would freeze up with fear. She'd be nothing more then a sitting duck for that man."

"Then we better pick up the pace," Crow murmured, everyone silently agreed

…

* * *

…

Irochō crouched beside the hidden and knocked out girl, pressing his fingers against her throat he sighed in relief that she was still breathing. His master had a bad habit of hitting pressure points too hard and accidentally killing his opponent instead of knocking them out, he was glade he was able to control himself this time.

_I'd better hurry,_ Irochō thought, turning to examine the forest beyond the fence carefully, _I can get in with a substitution... but I don't know if I can reach that far..._

He'll just have to try and hope for the best

…

* * *

…

Once they were out of sight of the gates he killed 'his' teammates and sought out that familiar feeling he had when he first saw the monster.

_Just wait love_, he thought running through the high branches of the strange trees, _I'll avenge you yet..._

…

* * *

…

"Alright what do you two want to do first?" Sakura asked, landing on the ground and stretching her shoulders, her boys were beside her almost instantly.

"Oh I don't know, how about we get a scroll?" Naruto asked sarcastically, making Sakura roll her eyes

"If we go towards the center we're bound to come across a team holding the scroll we need" Sakura replied, putting her hands on her hips, "the down side is weather or not that team is going to be stronger then us."

"Face it Sakura-chan we're the strongest team here!" Naruto cheered loudly, making Sasuke close his eyes and sigh, "No one can beat us!"

"Except maybe Lee's team," Sasuke grumbled to him, crossing his arms, "and did you even stop to think about that Suna team? Redhead isn't to be trifled with; we should avoid _him_ like the plaque"

"Yeah but we'll figure out away to beat them," Naruto laughed, "We always do!"

"Did wave teach you nothing?" Sakura asked, shaking her head

"Nope," Naruto grinned at her, making his teammates look at him like he was an idiot

"Face it Sakura we knew he was an idiot when we first met," Sasuke said flashing his Sharingan and glancing at a tree just behind her; his way of giving her a heads up about a possible team behind them.

"True," Sakura smirked, her eyes moving to look in the same direction even though it looked as if she was looking at Sasuke, "Naruto did some how managed to berry himself in the white sand." Their first meeting was in Oak Park in the middle of winter not at some beach in wave; that should be enough of a clue to her team that she knew about their enemy. After all, the only place in fire country that had white sand was the little town at their south border called Kangi; it was world famous for its pristine beaches, beautiful scenes and delicious foods. The team behind them would properly use it against them, now they knew what to ask and say when if they get separated.

"That was fun!" Naruto chuckled, before glaring heatedly at Sasuke "I had the perfect castle until you fire balled it!" Good, now they knew he knew about the other team waiting to ambush them, or at least took the hint

"Enough arguing you two," Sakura sighed looking up at the sky hidden by the branches, "I can't tell but it looks like it's getting dark, how long have we been in this forest anyways?"

_Gurgle-grumble_

"Too long," Naruto mumbled, looking down at his rumbling stomach with watery eyes "I'm _hungry!_"

"Dube," Sasuke sighed, rubbing at his brow in irritation, "Didn't you eat before we left?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto nodded

"Alright let's move further in before we set up camp," Sakura sighed, "Naruto how long can you last before you die of hunger?"

"Hmm, Two hours?" _Gurgle_ "better make that an hour"

"How far can we get in an hour?" Sakura asked Sasuke curiously

"We should be able to reach the river," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "the river should have fish in it; we can have that for dinner tonight."

"Right, let's go!"

…

* * *

…

He raced through the trees, it took him an hour but he was able to lose the guards who saw him enter the forest. Irochō swept high into the branches of the strange thick oaks of the creepy forest, he knew his master was nearby it was just a manner of catching up and then staying out of the man's rang.

_I hope he wont be too mad at me,_ Irochō though as he ran, it really wasn't like him to disobey his master but he wanted to make sure he'd be okay with the 'monster'.

People weren't called monsters without a good reason

…

* * *

…

"Sir we have a problem!" Hiruzen snapped around to stare at the two young chunin proctors who just dashed into his office, both looked as if they ran straight from the forest of death to his office

"Someone entered the chunin exam," The one brunet, "He seemed to have knocked out a sound kunochi, she's in the hospital at the moment. We saw him when he tried to enter the training grounds however he escaped our pursuit team, we lost him in the forest." He pulled out a small white paper from his pocket and handed it over to Hiruzen, the image of a boy about twelve years old with long, Inky black hair and pale skin greeted his dark gaze but what truly captured Hiruzen's attention was the boy's mismatched eyes, one blue eye one green eye both as bright as Sapphires and Emeralds in sunlight.

"We also found three Grass nin at the prayer grounds just outside of the forty-four training grounds." The other said handing over three files and another photo, "It's possible that the boy isn't the only person who entered the training grounds."

"If this boy was there early enough to knock out the girl, why didn't he take her place on her team?" Hiruzen asked, "The proctor guiding them to their gate wouldn't have let them through without their third member..."

"Then the boy wasn't the one who knocked out the girl," the brunet concluded with wide eyes, "but then who took out the Grass Nin?"

"We better get Anbu in that training ground or whole lot of Genin are going to die," Hiruzen hissed, _I better get there too..._

…

* * *

…

"Shhh" Sakura ordered, stiffening and listening intently to the forest around them, her head tilted every what way as if trying to listen to a specific sound. "Hide! First meet!" Sakura shouted and dove for the nearest form of cover just as a blast of wind whipped by and tilted trees, ripped up dirt and threw bushes. Sakura formed a hand sign and tried to concentrate on the feel of her teammates, more then glad that Sasuke did as she asked but annoyed when she felt Naruto had gotten hit full force with the strange wind jutsu. After it was done, she counted to ten before she decided to move out from under the bush she took refuge under.

"Halt!" Sakura looked up and found herself staring at Sasuke with his kunai drawn and in a defensive stance, "When did we first meet?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes, making Sakura giggle and roll her own.

…

* * *

…

He smirked as he found the team he was searching for, his smile growing when he saw the pinkette stumble out of the bushes and into his target's view, now he knew who to transform into. He jumped from the tree branch and landed just behind the two, listening to them pass their code to each other without noticing him.

"When did we first meet?" Sasuke asked with a glare, he listened closely to the girl's answer, her answer would most likely be his own.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki" _the hell_— "and I'm five years old" oh okay that kind of tactic, a memory all three of them shared centered around their first meeting at five years of age. "My sister is?" S*** they're making this personal

"Ayame Haruno," Sasuke smirked relaxing in his stance and approaching her, "How she doing? Still working in the flower department?" well at least he had answers for both of them now

"She's been distracted with your cousin," Sakura answered rolling her eyes, "Dose Shisui have to drag your brother _everywhere_?"

"Unfortunately," Sasuke chuckled.

He rolled his eyes and stood from his place, shaking a bush and making a show of stumbling out into their view. "Ah, hay you guys!"

"Halt!" Sasuke ordered, spinning around and lifting a kunai automatically, the pinkette simply tilted her head curiously at him, "First meet?"

…

* * *

…

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm five years old," the blond answered tilting his head at Sasuke

"My sister is?" Sakura asked frowning at the boy; something didn't seem right with him, she couldn't feel his chakra like she normally could. It didn't help that there was no way for Naruto to get from his previous location to theirs in such a short amount of time, Naruto was direction retarded in every meaning of the words.

"Ayame Haruno," 'Naruto' answered with a smile and nod of his head, "How is she doing anyways? Is she still working with flowers?" Sakura stiffened and glanced at Sasuke, Naruto always shut up when her sister was brought up and he'd never ask something so disrespectful, knowing that she was dead.

"Sakura?" Sasuke questioned with his own frown

"Right," without warning Sakura through an explosive tag and retreated to the trees, "Fifty meters south!" that was the last place she felt Naruto, if they moved she'd be able to bring him back into her range

…

* * *

…

"What the hell?" Irochō asked aloud, sliding to a halt and staring dumbly at the blond boy hanging up side down in a tree. Approaching him slowly he let his chakra brush out and touch the boy's, curious if he was still alive. The boy twitched and woke up, staring dumbly into his own eyes like a curious and dizzy child.

"Hello" he said calmly, "Do you need help getting down?"

"Yes please," the boy agreed trying to look around himself curiously, Irochō pulled out a kunai and started cutting at the vines that were wrapped around the blonde tightly. "Thank you," the boy coughed flipping off the busted up old tree and landing on to his feet, looking around himself curiously. "Have you see my teammates? They're kind of hard to miss them actually, One is a stuck up boy with black hair and eyes and the other is a girl with pink hair and green eyes" Irochō stiffened at the information, recalling that one of the pictures given to him was a girl his age with pink hair and green eyes. He knew his master's daughter and wife had pink hair but multicolored eyes, like his own, but the monster he was hunting had pure green eyes and pink hair; his master once told him that the monster had chosen pink hair just to mock him.

"No I haven't seen them," Irochō answered, "Would you like me to help you find them?"

"Huh? Why'd you do that? Don't you have to find your own teammates?" the boy asked

"I don't have any," Irochō answered truthfully, "I'm searching for my master; I saw him enter here so now I'm trying to find him."

"Really? Why would he want to enter the chunin exam?"

"I guess it's some kind of test for me," Irochō smiled and shrugged carelessly, "you want my help or not?"

"I don't see why not," the boy agreed with an easy smile "my name is Naruto Uzumaki, what's yours?"

"Irochō" he answered with a found smile, "I'm called Irochō" _It's not what mother called me but I don't mind because Master named me_

…

* * *

…

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted moving to catch her as their attacker kicked her mid jump, he caught her and skidded back into a tree, coughing when he felt the tree dent beneath him. "Are you okay?" he asked with a cough, moving Sakura aide so he could protect her better

"I'm fine," Sakura wheezed, "We need to get to Naruto, I think he might be in danger."

"I'd worry less about your teammate and more about your selves," their attacker advised landing in front of them with long black hair and yellow skirts floating around them mockingly. "I'm interested in how you knew I wasn't that blonde boy, what was it that gave me away?" he (she?) asked, tilting their head to the side and rising to their full height.

"You forgot the cut on his cheek," Sasuke replied, moving to crouch protectively in front of Sakura while she readied her rigged kunai knifes behind him, ready to throw them at the first sign.

"My sister is dead," Sakura answered glaring at the (boy? Girl?), surprising them in the processes, "Naruto would never ask me something so rude."

"Ah, so that whole conversation was the code," the Grass nin chuckled, "advanced for you three. I take it you've had problems with people replacing you?"

"No," Sasuke growled, "we just knew that people would try in these exams."

"Oh so you came up with it before you even entered?" these children were smarter then he thought, to come up with a code that each one would respond differently too, just how smart were these little genin?

"Nope" Sakura answered with a glare, "it was all on the fly." He was beginning to think that they weren't as smart as he previously thought, seriously who was that dumb? There was no grantee that they'd answer the way they thought they would!

"...as amusing as this conversation is, we need to get the show on the road" he held up his heaven scroll for both teens to see, their reactions made him smirk. "Oh? Do you need this? Well let's fight for it eh?" he opened his mouth and swallowed the white scroll hole, "Now then, after this one of us will have both of the scrolls and the other" he made eye contact "will _die!_" he watched as his genjutsu worked it's magic, knocking both teens to their knees and showing them their own death. He watched as they both gasped and then slumped away from each other, Sasuke going so far as to throw up while the pinkette bowed her head and started trembling.

Heh, too ea—

_Snort_

He perked up at the strange sound, focusing on the trembling form of the pinkette were the sound had come from. Her body was shaking, true; her hand was pressed to her mouth as if to keep back bile, true, but...

"Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The girl was laughing... that's never happened before. Who was amused by their own death?

"You-you seriously think," She snorted, coughed and raised teary amused eyes up to him, "That I-I'm afraid?" she giggled helplessly "You're nothing compared to father!"

Who was this girl's father? Ibiki Marino? ... That's a scary thought all on it's own

"That's a relief," a dark voice commented from behind the genin, making the girl stiffen, her laugher ending abruptly. "I was _so_ worried about that," her shaking returned ten fold, she turned slowly as if she couldn't belief that someone had actually snuck up behind her. The man was tall with wide shoulders, long ratty black hair streaked with gray, nicely tanned skin and eyes as green as black emeralds, as sharp as kunai and as cold as ice.

"Hello monster, been living well?" the man sneered at Sakura, peaking the grass Nin's interest, "I haven't seen your sister, where is she?"

"Y-You-ou ki-killed he-her," Sakura stuttered out, turning to crawl back words away from him, drawing Sasuke's attention to the new threat.

"Is that what you told them?" he snarled straightening from his slouch against the tree he was leaning against, "that I killed Ayame?! You killed her! You're the monster!" He lunged at the two genin but Sasuke was faster; he lifted Sakura into his arms and jumped into the trees, narrowly missing the enraged male.

…

* * *

…

**Okay so I was thinking that Shizuki was a bit of a...a um... trouble maker? What do you call someone who's messed up enough to have even the worst kinds of people (people like Zabuza) be wiry of them? Not a gangster because that's stereotyping, though there's little difference in this case, and not a thug because he was so much worse...**

**Anyone got any nicknames I could use that he could have earned as a youth?**

**And since he 'killed' Ayame he became a 'nuke-nin' that's more known for no one knowing what he looks like and leaving a complete freaking mess behind in his battles with the hunter nin who's tried to kill him; most of which belong to the hidden leaf.**

**I was thinking that there would be two entries in the bingo book, the out dated information they had on Shizuki that was published just after he 'killed' Ayame and then a second one of a picture less entry with little information on it other then 'avoid and report'**

**What do you think?**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 22**


	4. Chapter 4

**Innocent secrets**

Chapter 4: second round: allies

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

* * *

…

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted moving to catch her as their attacker kicked her mid jump, he caught her and skidded back into a tree, coughing when he felt the tree dent beneath him. "Are you okay?" he asked with a cough, moving Sakura aide so he could protect her better

"I'm fine," Sakura wheezed, "We need to get to Naruto, I think he might be in danger."

"I'd worry less about your teammate and more about your selves," their attacker advised landing in front of them with long black hair and yellow skirts floating around them mockingly. "I'm interested in how you knew I wasn't that blonde boy, what was it that gave me away?" he (she?) asked, tilting their head to the side and rising to their full height.

"You forgot the cut on his cheek," Sasuke replied, moving to crouch protectively in front of Sakura while she readied her rigged kunai knifes behind him, ready to throw them at the first sign.

"My sister is dead," Sakura answered glaring at the (boy? Girl?), surprising them in the processes, "Naruto would never ask me something so rude."

"Ah, so that whole conversation was the code," the Grass nin chuckled, "advanced for you three. I take it you've had problems with people replacing you?"

"No," Sasuke growled, "we just knew that people would try in these exams."

"Oh so you came up with it before you even entered?" these children were smarter then he thought, to come up with a code that each one would respond differently too, just how smart were these little genin?

"Nope" Sakura answered with a glare, "it was all on the fly." He was beginning to think that they weren't as smart as he previously thought, seriously who was that dumb? There was no grantee that they'd answer the way they thought they would!

"...as amusing as this conversation is, we need to get the show on the road" he held up his heaven scroll for both teens to see, their reactions made him smirk. "Oh? Do you need this? Well let's fight for it eh?" he opened his mouth and swallowed the white scroll hole, "Now then, after this one of us will have both of the scrolls and the other" he made eye contact "will _die!_" he watched as his genjutsu worked it's magic, knocking both teens to their knees and showing them their own death. He watched as they both gasped and then slumped away from each other, Sasuke going so far as to throw up while the pinkette bowed her head and started trembling.

Heh, too ea—

_Snort_

He perked up at the strange sound, focusing on the trembling form of the pinkette were the sound had come from. Her body was shaking, true, her hand was pressed to her mouth as if to keep back bile, true, but...

"Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The girl was laughing... that's never happened before. Who was amused by their own death?

"You-you seriously think," She snorted, coughed and raised teary amused eyes up to him, "That I-I'm afraid?" she giggled helplessly "You're nothing compared to father!"

Who was this girl's father? Ibiki Marino? ... That's a scary thought all on it's own

"That's a relief," a dark voice commented from behind the genin, making the girl stiffen, her laugher ending abruptly. "I was _so_ worried about that," her shaking returned ten fold, she turned slowly as if she couldn't belief that someone had actually snuck up behind her. The man was tall with wide shoulders, long ratty black hair streaked with gray, nicely tanned skin and eyes as green as black emeralds, as sharp as kunai and as cold as ice.

"Hello monster, been living well?" the man sneered at Sakura, peaking the grass Nin's interest "I haven't seen your sister, where is she?"

"Y-You-ou ki-killed he-her" Sakura stuttered out, turning to crawl back words away from him, drawing Sasuke's attention to the new threat.

"Is that what you told them?" he snarled straightening from his slouch against the tree he was leaning against, "that I killed Ayame?! You killed her! You're the monster!" he lunged at the two genin but Sasuke was faster; he lifted Sakura into his arms and jumped into the trees, narrowly missing the enraged male.

…

* * *

…

He coughed as he crawled out of the toad's mouth, arriving in the training grounds in record time. Now he just needed to find the little pinkette and pray that he wasn't too late.

"Master Jiraya," the toad called as started to walk away, "Would you like our help? There are hundreds of us here in this forest."

"Any little bit of help is greatly appreciated," Jiraya answered, turning to crouch in front of his summoning, "I didn't know there were summoning here"

"There aren't" the toad replied crawling out of the water to hop onto his shoulder, "but I can translate what the toads around us are saying, I can even request help from them."

"Can you ask them to help me search and possibly protect a young leaf kunochi with pink hair and green eyes?" Jiraya asked, "She should be with her two teammates, a boy with dark hair and eyes and another with yellow hair and blue eyes."

"Sure no problem!"

_R-R-R-R-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-BI-I-I-IT!_

He should've known better then to ask the question with the toad sitting next to his ear

…

* * *

…

"Inu how much further?" Tenzo asked trying to keep up with the fast jumping of his teammates. They had entered the forbidden forest ten minutes ago and started their search immanently after words but so far, nothing has been beneficial to them. All they found out was that Naruto got separated and was now making his way back to his teammates with an unfamiliar scent; Suzuki had apparently made contact with team seven along with another scent Kakashi knew but couldn't place.

"I don't know," Kakashi answered he glanced down at the pug he held in his arms

"Sasuke is running with Sakura but I don't know what kind of condition she's in," the pug answered keeping his nose in the air and taking in deep breathes, "All I'm getting is the strong scent of her fear."

"How far Pakkun?" Kakashi asked with a frown

"Sakura and Sasuke are about a mile or so ahead of us," the pug answered, "Both enemies are closing in fast on them."

"And Naruto-san?" Ookami asked curiously

"He's smack dab in the middle between them and us," Pakkun answered, "the scent traveling with him doesn't appear to be a threat."

_At least, not yet_, Kakashi thought, picking up his pace.

"Huh ah-oh" Pakkun murmured, squirming slightly in Kakashi's hold "Shizuki is closing in fast on the Sakura and Sasuke, the other scent appears to have backed off for now."

…

* * *

…

He hissed as he ran, trying to avoid the snakes that appeared out of nowhere and started attaching them; he was able to run from them but it appeared as if the one was hell bent on eating them. His Sharingan activated and his surroundings slipped into sharp clarity, the darkness brightening as if the sun was a giant crimson orb high over head. He slipped between trees that should have gotten him stuck and ducked under branches that would have been hidden to anyone else. He ran across the mossy ground putting a great amount of distance between him and the snake, eventually losing it enough to return to the high branches, aiming for the river were it would be more difficult to ambush them.

A voice rang in the air around them, making Sasuke flinch and Sakura whimper. It was far enough away that he wasn't worried about the man finding them but was close enough that if he didn't hide them soon then the insane man would find them and attach again.

"Damn it," Sasuke hissed his eyes scanning his surroundings carefully, searching for a place to hide them. His eyes fell upon a great tree with a niche small enough for the both of them, biting his lip he glanced back in the direction of the voice before he hurried to the tree and ducked inside. He set Sakura against the wall gently, trying to ignore how she whimpered and curled up on herself, and quickly left the little niche. Glaring hatefully at the entrance that led to a terrified Sakura, Sasuke swept his hands through the familiar hand signs his brother taught him a year before. It had taken him two months and a week to get the jutsu correct and another month to combine the power of the Sharingan with the defensive Genjutsu.

Sasuke then dashed into the trees again, snatching up a log and transforming it into Sakura as he ran full tilt away from Sakura; he needed to draw Shizuki away from her and deal with him on his own. Sakura was completely useless against her own father, turning to putty at the mere sight of him; he remembered what happened during the bell test, it had taken him ten minutes to calm her down enough to understand his words without getting interrupted with a whimper, after that she was like a frightened and skitter-ish puppy, refusing to leave his side and flinching harshly at the softest of sounds. Kakashi then had to give her special training concerning her father, trying to get her over the sight of her father without turning into putty.

Needless to say, he hadn't succeeded

_Naruto, where are you?_ Sasuke thought as he ran, trying to get closer to his teammate, following the same direction Sakura had mentioned before she met with her father. _This isn't the time to pull a disappearance act!_

…

* * *

…

Naruto felt a cold shiver run up his spine and a knife cut into his heart, narrowing his eyes he pushed himself to move even faster, knowing that the bad feeling meant that his teammates were in danger.

"Ah Naruto-san please slow down!" Irochō called out, panting heavily behind him, "I'm not as fast as yo—ah!" Naruto paused and grabbed the black haired boy, flinging over his shoulder and running for everything he was worth.

"Please just lead me to my teammates," Naruto said, hurrying through the high branches of the trees, "I have a really bad feeling."

"Ah-oh okay," Irochō stuttered, forming a hand sign and concentrating on the feel of the two people he remembered seeing with Naruto before they entered this portion of the exam. "Umm it feels like-like they separated," Irochō informed Naruto, "The girl is hiding and the boy... um he's moving closer to us... oh"

"What?" Naruto asked, "That didn't sound like a very good 'oh'"

"It's not," Irochō agreed, "You remember about that signature I was telling about earlier? The one attaching your teammates?"

"Yeah?"

"He just found your female teammate" Irochō took a deep breath and tried to calm down his quickening heartbeat, "It doesn't feel like he's hurting her... but he's defiantly carrying her towards your other teammate."

"Oh far?" Naruto asked

"At the pace you're going at? We'll reach them in ten minutes"

…

* * *

…

"Naruto just picked up his speed!" Pakkun shouted, "It also smells like Sasuke tried to distract Shizuki by hiding Sakura and making himself the target."

"Damn it, Sasuke," Kakashi hissed, _what are you thinking? You're not strong enough to handle him!_

…

* * *

…

He listened as a swarm of toad songs surrounded him, filling the forest with their endless voices. He's been waiting for the past ten minutes on something and so far—

"Master Jiraya we've found her," his eyes snapped over to the little toad on his shoulder "She's in danger you'd better hurry."

"Which way?" he asked, rising to his feet

"North west, two miles," the toad answered, "it would seem that someone commanding the snakes is there too as well as a man with eyes as cold as ice. The Snake man is targeting the black haired boy you mentioned and the icy eyed man is targeting your kunochi."

"Damn it!" He jumped and wove through the trees as quickly as he could, "Can I teleport with the closest toad there?!"

"Yes," he answered, "But they're leaving the vicinity, it's become to dangerous for them to stay."

"How close is the closet toad?" Jiraya asked with gritted teeth, _what are you doing here, Orochimaru?_

"About a ten minute run," he answered, "it'll take us a minute or two to contact him though."

"Tell him not to move!" Jiraya snapped, "I need to switch places with him as soon as possible"

"I'll try but I can't make any promises"

…

* * *

…

"Little Uchiha~" Sasuke skidded to a halt in the middle of a semi-large clearing and glared at the black haired man that just appeared a few feet away, "I think you forgot something." The man grinned and stepped aside, showing a curled up Sakura huddled against the base of a tree just behind him.

"Damn it you idiot!" Sasuke hissed at him, "are you trying to get her killed?!"

"No but I am," Sasuke snapped around to see Shizuki land on the ground on his other side, green eyes glaring hatefully at him. "Hand over the monster brat," Shizuki ordered coldly "I want it not you so—"

"Not a chance," Sasuke hissed at him sliding into a defensive stance between him and his still terrified teammate, the transformation he placed over the log disappeared. "How can you claim to be her father when you call her such names?"

"She's not my daughter she's a monster!" Shizuki hissed out, eyes flashing warningly at him, "She killed Maihime! She killed my daughter Ayame! She's the monster! She killed her own brother!"

"Her brother?" Sasuke asked surprised, ignoring the jab he made at Ayame, knowing that the man had killed her but simply refused to belief it, blaming Sakura instead.

"Maihime was pregnant with twins," Shizuki said, his eyes tearing up and his face twisting into fury and pain, "that monster killed them both."

"The file said that Maihime disappeared from the hospital," Sasuke replied with a frown, "her body was never found."

"No one could survive that much blood loss!" Shizuki shouted at him furiously, "Maihime was small and delegate! She couldn't have survived from that monster ripping through her! The medics admitted that there was something wrong with the process!"

"You blame your wife's disappearance on your new born child?" Sasuke asked furiously, "Assuming she's dead when you have no proof of the fact? You even raped and murdered your eldest daughter Ayame! Moreover, you blame _your_ actions on Sakura?! How is that right?! She was six when _you_ _killed Ayame!_"

"Nothings right!" Shizuki shouted at him, He drew out a sword and charged at Sasuke, the blade glinting in the afternoon sun and humming with wobbly blue chakra. "Nothing is right when that monster is still alive when my wife and daughter died because of her!" Sasuke hissed as he dodged the man's swipe, automatically mimicking the man's actions without even realizing it, even going so far as perfecting the strange little trick.

"Don't forget about me," the grass Nin chimed jumping in to the fray and fighting Sasuke and smoothly making Shizuki miss his mark in the process.

"Damn it mind your own business!" Shizuki shouted as he tried to attach again

"I am," the grass Nin chuckled, "the boy is my business."

"Then you distract him so I can kill her!" Shizuki ordered dodging a kick to spin around Sasuke and move towards a trembling Sakura.

"No!" Sasuke hissed abandoning the fight with the grass Nin to spin on his heal and run full tilt toward his teammate. "Stay away from her!" Sasuke shouted, pulling out wires and quickly attaching them to some shiriken and threw the rigged blades towards Shizuki, distracting him enough to move ahead and perform another set of familiar hand signs. "Grand fireball jutsu!" Shizuki snarled at him and did a quick substitution, the grass Nin screamed as he was caught full force with Sasuke's fireball. Sasuke cursed as he cut off his jutsu and tried to distract Shizuki away from Sakura, going so far as substituting with a kunai so he could stand protectively in front of Sakura.

"You're good brat," Shizuki hissed at Sasuke, twisting his blade and pulling it apart to show that it was two blades acting like one. "But I've only gotten better in the past six years; I've been practicing so I could exact my vengeance on that monster."

"The only monster here is you!" Sasuke snapped, only to still at the sound of laughter. Confused, both Shizuki and Sasuke turned to look towards the swirling fire where the grass Nin had been thought to have been killed.

"My, my you really are Itachi's little brother," Sasuke gritted his teeth as the grass Nin pushed himself into a standing position and slowly reached up to remove his melted off face.

"Okay so there are two monsters here," Sasuke said with a look of disgust at the yellow eyed man a few dozen feet away, "You and him."

…

* * *

…

"They're fighting!" Pakkun shouted suddenly, "They've stopped moving, Sasuke is fighting against the unknown signature and Shizuki!"

"Naruto and Sakura?" Kakashi asked, panic lacing his words

"Naruto will get involved in five minutes," Pakkun replied, "Sakura's still too scared to move!"

"Will she act if the boys get hurt?" Tenzo asked curiously

"I-I don't know," Kakashi said through gritted teeth, "I used the nightmare genjutsu on her in the bell test; it took Sasuke nearly an hour to calm her down enough to convince her that she was under a genjutsu and she was still skitter-ish for the rest of the day."

"She's completely terrified of her father isn't she?" Ookami asked softly, her voice mixing with anger and pity

"You haven't met her father," Crow replied, "He set my mother on edge."

Everyone knew that it was nearly impossible to make Mikoto negative with anyone, for Sakura's father to have done so... he must have done something truly stupid in her presence

…

* * *

…

"We're ready but he's moved to a safer location," the toad told him, digging his slimy 'fingers' into Jiraya's coat.

"Just move us," he hissed

"Done"

_Poof_

…

* * *

…

Sasuke hissed as he skidded to a halt, struggling to sit up he glared up at Shizuki as he tried to run at Sakura with his swords aimed for the kill. Cursing he threw an explosive tag at him and rolled onto his feet to cover Sakura, the tag went of and Shizuki was forced back a dozen or so feet. Sasuke spun around with glowing kunais drawn and slashed out at the yellow-eyed man who tried to sneak up on him.

_Damn it_, Sasuke thought, coughing as he fell to one knee, trying to catch his breath, _I can't do this on my own._ He looked up just as the yellow-eyed man charged at him with a manic grin; he struggled to his feet, panting as he watched Shizuki charge forward again, fury like a scar on his face.

_Naruto, where are you? We need you_, they were getting closer now, he raised up one glowing blade with a shaky arm, _Naruto!_

"Get away from them!" Sasuke flinched as a horde of orange appeared in front of him, another group blocking of Shizuki as the real Naruto pulled Sasuke to his feet.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke stuttered out surprised, his red eyes wide

"Yeah I'm here," Naruto grinned at him, "Sorry for being late, you okay?"

"You-you idiot," Sasuke smirked shaking his head and straightened from Naruto's hold, "Focus on Shizuki, I think you're the only one who can stand his stamina."

"Right," Naruto nodded his head, turning to look at the black haired man that had just cleared himself of the orange clones

"I'll hand yellow-eyes," Sasuke continued settling himself in a sure stance, "Send a few clones to stay close to Sakura." Naruto nodded, his lips pressed into a tight line as he stared at the furious green eyed man

"I" Naruto started only to pause with gritted teeth "She... she—argh!"

"I know," Sasuke said, his eyes not moving from the yellow-eyed man who freed himself from the clones "She has his eyes."

"It's trippy," Naruto sighed, looking at the man who was now approaching slowly, his green eyes as cold as ice. "I've never... I hope she never... their eyes are..." Naruto sighed, unable to put his thoughts or feelings into words.

"I've never seen it either," Sasuke agreed, pushing Naruto a little closer to Shizuki, "She'll never look at you like that and their eyes maybe the same green but they aren't the same shade."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked and looked back at Sasuke dumbly

"Sakura's eyes are warm, Shizuki's are cold," Sasuke smirked at him, "Now deal with him and keep a few clones close to Sakura."

"R-right!" Naruto grinned and ran forward, forming a hand sign and creating an army in seconds

…

* * *

…

"They're fighting," Pakkun said, Kakashi nodded and moved higher into the trees, using them like trampolines to fling him further forward and closer to his students. "Oh! I have new scents!"

"Good or bad?" Kakashi asked worriedly

"I can't tell," Pakkun answered, "It smells like there are three genin, no, a chunin, Jonin and one Genin standing nearby. They don't appear to be moving towards or away from team seven, they might be just watching..."

"Can you tell what kind of state the kids are in?" Crow asked

"Naruto is a little winded but it smells like he might be taking on Shizuki," Pakkun answered "Sasuke is defiantly hurt but he's still fighting—oh S***! I recognize that other scent!"

"Who is it?" Kakashi asked, it wasn't normal for Pakkun to curse

"It's Orochimaru," Pakkun growled "Orochimaru is fighting Sasuke and the boy doesn't even know it!"

Kakashi flinched as Crow _flew_ passed him

…

* * *

…

He was stuck with the yellow-eyed man; trying to hold him back before he can do any more damage to them but the problem was that Shizuki had a friend. A boy their age with long inky hair and eyes the same as Sakura's older sister's, the jumped into the fray with Shizuki and Naruto, giving Shizuki an opening to charge Sakura. Naruto had tried to stop him with a few clones but he also had to engage in hand-to-hand with the boy, which kept him from making more clones.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted desperately from his fight with the boy

"I know!" Sasuke snapped back, "I'm a little busy!"

"And I'm not?!" Naruto snapped back, trying to disengage to cover Sakura again, "This boy is like fighting with water!"

"Just get to her!" Sasuke snapped, his eyes widening as Shizuki got ever closer to Sakura. "Damn it!" Sasuke kicked at the man and spun on his heal throwing a kunai at Shizuki and running after it as fast he could.

"Die!" Shizuki roared, Sakura looked up at him with terror, tears rolling down her pale cheeks as she curled tighter around herself.

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered brokenly, Shizuki's eyes widened for a fraction of a second

"Monster!" Shizuki roared bringing his sword down on Sakura's terrified form

"_Sakura!_" Naruto and Sasuke screamed, abandoning their fights

…

* * *

…

"Oh no!" Pakkun said alarming the team who were already moving as fast as the wind, "Shizuki's closing in on Sakura! She's not moving!"

…

* * *

…

"DIE!"

Naruto and Sasuke watched wide eyed and panic stricken as Shizuki's blade inched ever closer to Sakura, only to have a gust of wind fly out of the woods and barrel into him, flinging him away from Sakura with enough force to slam him against the trees on the other side of the field.

"What the?" Naruto and Irochō slid to a halt, staring dumbly at a still paralyzed Sakura and the young blonde kunochi standing in front of her. Sasuke slid to a halt and then quickly spun around to avoid getting cut in half by his opponent.

"What are you doing here?!" Naruto asked staring at the girl in confusion as her two brothers landed just behind her

"We were just passing through," Temari answered her eyes locked in on Shizuki, "Why are two fully grown men attaching a group of genin?"

"Well I don't know about yellow-yes but that man is Shizuki Haruno," Naruto answered pointing at the coughing man struggling to stand to his feet, "he's Sakura-chan's father!"

"Her father?" Kankuro repeated, glancing back at the trembling girl.

…

"_Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha you sound as if we should be scared!" She laughed, one arm wrapped around her stomach and her eyes priced with tears._

"_Lady are you nuts?" Konohamaru asked her seriously_

"_No Sakura's just..." Sasuke paused as if in thought, "She's just different"_

"_You aren't afraid of me?" Gaara asked curiously_

"_Ah~ how cute~!" Sakura cooed mockingly "You actually think you're scary!"_

"_...I'll enjoy killing you" Gaara said seriously, Sakura just fell into another bout of laughter_

"_T&amp;I would love to meet you!" Sakura laughed_

…

"Just what the hell did he do to her?" Kankuro asked no one in particular

"He killed her sister!" Sasuke snapped jumping away from the man and sliding to a stop several feet away from the sand team "She _watched_ him kill her sister."

"She watched?" Temari asked with a frown, her hand tightening on the fan in her hands reflexively

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed settling into a defensive stance, "I don't know all the details but Shizuki blames Sakura for her mother's death. According to him she was pregnant with twins," he glanced back at them with his flaming red eyes "Only Sakura survived."

"I see," Temari sighed, looking back at the trembling girl who had laughed at her baby brother's most terrifying glare. _He's even worse then our own father..._

"So, are we helping or moving on?" Kankuro asked curiously, watching Gaara turn on his heal and approach Sakura. Gaara crouched beside Sakura, watching how she trembled like a leaf before him, eyes clouded over with fear and her soft voice tinged in terror repeated only 'I'm sorry'. He reached towards her, intending to make her look at him but she flinched and whimpered pushing herself into the bark of the tree as if it could protect her from him; his hand stopped half way to her, a memory from long ago flashing in his mind's eye. The girl was the same as him but at the same time, she wasn't. She killed her mother, like him, and was hated by her father, like him, but she didn't have anything to protect her from the physical abuse that he father put her through. She didn't have sand that protected her from harm, she only had what her mother left her with; her physical body.

"I'm sorry," Sakura whimpered out, trying to burry herself into the tree she had been placed at, "I'm sorry." Gaara stood and faced his siblings, Temari spun on her heal and marched over to Sakura her self.

"Hay," Temari's harsh voice snapped, making Sakura flinch and whimper

"That's only going to make her worse," Kankuro observed, Temari pressed her lips together and crouched beside Sakura slowly

"Hay," Temari said in a softer voice, "Sakura right?" Sakura trembled, rocking back and forth against the tree, ignoring the cuts bloomed on her body as a result, "It's okay, I won't hurt you."

"Sissy" Sakura whimpered turning away from Temari, not seeing her surprise, "I'm sorry sissy, I'm sorry." Temari sat back on her hunches, her eyes widening and her heart nearly stilling with the heartbreaking whisper

"Damn b***!" Shizuki roared marching towards them with renewed anger "Let me kill her!" Sakura whimpered and pressed herself even closer (if that was possible) to the tree, tears dripping down her cheeks like miniature rivers

"Shhh, Shhh," Temari whispered moving forward slowly, her hands held up peacefully "it's okay, I'll be your sister, Shhh, Shhh." Sakura whimpered as Temari gently placed one hand her shoulder "It's okay, I'll be your sister," Sakura turned too wide eyes onto her, her lips trembling as Temari repeated herself gently, her lips pulling into a small smile and her eyes softening as spook gently.

"S-sissy?" Sakura whispered, sniffing when Temari nodded, seeing only the blonde's teal eyes "Sissy?"

"That's right" Temari agreed with a soft smile, "I'll be your sister"

"Sissy," Sakura whispered, new tears spilling from her eyes "Sissy!" Temari flinched as Sakura wrapped her arms around Temari, crying loudly in her arms, her apologies louder then ever. Temari gritted her teeth and returned the hug with trembling arms, one hand rising to pat Sakura's head reassuringly. Gaara watched for a moment before he moved to stand beside Kankuro, trying to ignore the headache that was beginning to form in his head.

"Gaara," Temari called, stilling the red head, "Will you do me a favor?" his silence told her to continue, "Kick his ass." Temari rarely asked him to do anything, more often then not asking him to spare one person or another; she's never asked him to get violent before. Gaara nodded his head softly and stepped passed Kankuro, ignoring Naruto being forced to remember his fight with the black haired boy and Sasuke's shouts as he tried to deal with his own opponent.

"Kankuro, Sasuke, now" Gaara ordered coldly

"Just thinking that," Kankuro replied turning on his heal and moving to get a little closer to the boy.

…

* * *

…

"It smells like those three by standers are going to help them," Pakkun said, his body relaxing with the information, "the Jonin is going against Shizuki and chunin is with Sakura, looks like the other one is going to help Sasuke."

"I take it Naruto is still fighting that other person?" Kakashi asked

"Yes," Pakkun agreed, sniffing the air "Oh! Stop!"

"I can't," Kakashi replied continuing to move forward, ignoring the wining of the wolves behind him "What is it?"

"Jiraya is approaching them!" Ookami answered, "According to the boys he's using a type of substitution jutsu to transport himself closer to the teens!"

"According to the toads I'm hearing he'll be there in about—" Pakkun paused a moment, "NOW!"

…

* * *

…

Sasuke hissed as he was driven down to one knee, coughing harshly as the yellow-eyed man jumped back and smirked at him pleasantly.

"It would seem that the time has come," he purred, his hands moving into a long sequence of hand signs, "I have a gift for you!" suddenly the man's neck elongated and he flew at him with fangs barred.

_I can't move!_ Sasuke thought in panic, wincing as his muscles flared with pain when he tried to move

"Orochimaru! / Idiot!" Sasuke heard two voices shout just as he felt something attach to him and jerked him away from the yellow-eyed man as something exploded in front of him.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kankuro hissed jerking Sasuke back and catching him easily

"You try having your body fail you," Sasuke retorted as the older boy set him on the ground as carefully as he could. "How's Sakura?" Sasuke asked trying to turn to look for her

"Temari's got her," Kankuro replied preparing to pull the mummy thing on his back off, "Focus on the fight at hand!" Sasuke snapped around to see a tall man with a long white main and a red coat standing protectively in front of them

"Okay mummy boy," Jiraya smirked over his shoulder, "Take the brats and move to safety. I'll join you in a moment."

"Whatever you say old man," Kankuro replied replacing the strap and stooping to lift one of Sasuke's arms over his shoulder "You know him?"

"Of course I know him," Jiraya snorted, "he's my old teammate"

"Hah, Jiraya what are you doing here?" the man asked moving away slightly as if he didn't want to get too close to the white haired man

"What are you doing here, Orochimaru?" Jiraya instead, Kankuro's eyes widened and he turned on his heal, hurrying towards Temari as best as he can.

"Temari" Kankuro hissed as he neared, "We need to go, the Sanin are about to duke it out!"

"Sanin?" Temari repeated with a frown, "What are you talking about?"

_BOOM_

"That!" Kankuro shouted looking over his shoulder as both men made summoning and attached each other, forcing Naruto and his opponent to separate; Naruto ran straight for them while the black haired boy moved towards Shizuki quickly.

"We gotta get out of here!" Kankuro ordered just as Naruto slid to a stop beside them

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted crouching and forming hand sign at the same time, "Sakura-chan wake up!" Sakura whimpered and clung a little tighter to Temari, "Alright, I didn't want to do this but you've given me no choice."

"Dube don't!" Sasuke shouted, but it was too late, Naruto was enveloped in white smoke "You idiot! You'll make her worse!"

"Sakura-chan," a soft feminine voice called, stilling Sakura's trembling instantly, "Sakura-chan, wake up, it's time for you to wake up."

"N-Nee-chan," Sakura whispered, raising her eyes to look over Temari's shoulder, staring wide eyed at the graceful looking pinkette kneeling just behind her, dancing blue-green eyes smiling at her.

"Sakura-chan you have to get up now," 'Ayame' smiled at her "You have to move now, if you don't mother is going to cry." Sakura stared at her, nodding her head softly, Sakura pulled away from Temari slowly, "Come on Sakura-chan, we have to go now." 'Ayame' smiled at Sakura, her hand waving at the girl to follow as she rose and started to move away; Sakura followed her on trembling legs.

"...She has sister issues doesn't she?" Kankuro asked as he watched the two pinkette's move slowly away

"She watched her get killed," Sasuke answered as he was pulled along, Temari clambering to her feet to follow with her own frown still in place. "In that kind of state the only person who could get to her so quickly would be Ayame, her sister."

"That's why he transformed himself into her, right?" Temari asked as they followed, "He knew she was the only person who could get her to move..." Sasuke agreed with a nod of his head, now he only had to worry about Shizuki seeing them.

…

* * *

…

Irochō ran straight for his master, intending to help him with the strange red haired boy who was trying to capture him. If he didn't hurry then he was going to get hurt, he didn't like how the boy's chakra shifted ever so slightly making the sand move with what appeared to be such little effort. He watched as his master's left arm was caught in the Sand, prompting Irochō to move faster. He flinched as Shizuki let out a scream as his arm was crushed, being turned to pulp with seemingly even less effort then it took to capture him.

"Master!" Irochō screamed out reflexively, urging his legs to move faster, only to trip and land face first into a pile of sand.

"Irochō!" Shizuki shouted, hissing when Gaara's sand rose up around the boy and pinned him in place, preventing him from getting in closer.

"Master!" Irochō shouted again, panic lacing his words as more of Gaara's sand wrapped around Shizuki "_No!_"

…

* * *

…

"Team seven is retreating with the other group," Pakkun said, "Jiraya and Orochimaru are fighting..."

"And Shizuki?" Kakashi asked

"...Not sure but...," Pakkun answered, "His little helper is there... smells like the Jonin left him behind."

"We'll take him to T&amp;I," Kakashi said, "Our primary mission is to get team seven back to the village as soon as possible."

"Sir," Ookami called out unsurely, "What if... what if we're too late?"

"... Being too late isn't an option," Kakashi replied coldly, that wasn't something he was willing to think about

…

* * *

…

Sakura followed 'Ayame' blindly and silently, not seemingly having any conscious thought about where she was walking and didn't stop until her sister did. At that point, 'Ayame' and Sasuke shared a look; Sasuke burst out of Kankuro's hold and slammed a hand down on Sakura's neck, knocking her out instantly.

"What are you doing?!" Kankuro asked as Sasuke tried to catch Sakura but ended up collapsing under her added weight; Naruto released the transformation ended up having only enough time to make sure Sakura didn't hit her head on the way down.

"We can't have her thinking that her sister is still alive," Naruto reasoned, crouching to put Sakura's head on his shoulder, "By knocking her out we can claim that she fainted and was dreaming about her—"

"Instead of her seeing your transformation," Temari interrupted, "How is she going to respond to this little development?"

"Good question," Sasuke sighed, "We've never done this before."

"We'll just have to hope for the best," Naruto added, rising to his feet and looking at Sasuke worriedly

"We should rest for a bit before we continue," Sasuke replied to Naruto's silent question, "We're safe enough here but we'll still need to go out for a heaven scroll."

"A heaven scroll?" Temari repeated, "That means you have an earth scroll right?" the boys looked at each other, Sasuke thumping his head on the tree he was leaning back with a sigh. "Why don't you take our extra?"

"Huh?" Naruto and Sasuke looked at Temari as if she lost her mind

"We have an extra heaven scroll," Temari smirked, "Gaara flipped on a rain team just before we came across you guys. They had a heaven scroll and we took it for kicks"

"...and you're just going to give it to us?" Sasuke asked slowly, "What do you get out of it?"

"You in the final round," Gaara answered moving away from them, "I've decided that I'm going to kill you, so I'm going to kill you."

"Then why not do it now while I'm weak?" Sasuke asked with a frown

"...Because," Gaara glared over his shoulder, "You're weak." Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes, Naruto snickered as he approached the tree Sasuke was leaning against and gently set Sakura on the ground, careful not to aggravate her wounds. Temari smirked at her little brother and pulled out the heaven scroll she was carrying, walking over she tossed it carelessly at Sasuke before she turned to follow her brother into the trees.

"Hay are they really safe on their own out here?" Kankuro asked curiously, "the only one who can fight is Blondie and he's not exactly the brightest light bulb in the group."

"What are you saying? You want to drag them to the finish line?" Temari asked with a raised eyebrow, she rolled her eyes and went to look back at Gaara and ask him something sarcastic just to make a jab at Kankuro, but the red head was gone from sight.

…

* * *

…

By the time they got to the once small clearing in the training grounds, Kakashi's team stilled at the mass destruction that greeted them. To their far left, they could make out Jiraya's toad and Orochimaru's snake, looking as if Orochimaru was trying to escape with Jiraya giving chase anyways. Kakashi examined the area in front of him; catching sight of bright crimson splash on the other side of the field, Kakashi waved Crow and Ookami towards Jiraya and left to the scarlet stain with Tenzo close behind him. Kakashi ran across the field, his heart in his throat as he approached the bloodied area quickly, praying that he wasn't too late.

"Oh thank Kami," Kakashi breathed, sliding to a stop at the edge of the corps, breathing heavily. Before him was the mangled body of Shizuki Haruno, with a young black haired boy huddled over him, crying loudly. He didn't even need to look at Tenzo to signal for him to bind the boy, not that he even noticed the wooden restraints that wrapped around him tightly.

"Let's go," Kakashi ordered, lifting the now knocked out boy over his shoulder and turning to his Kohai

"What about Crow and Ookami-chan?" Tenzo asked

"Crow has business with Orochimaru and Ookami will make sure that he'll come back alive," Kakashi replied, "Jiraya won't let Orochimaru sink his teeth into Itachi... not that Itachi would let him get close enough."

…

* * *

…

Hiruzen sat his desk, trying to resist the urge to start pacing in his office. He's had a dozen different Anbu teams in and out of his office all day, so far Ibiki and Anko had offered to take Ayame and her kids in but not even they could wake her up from the utter terror she was in. Hiruzen feared that only Sakura could awaken the young woman from her terrified trance, and if Kakashi's team was to late... if Shizuki got to her before they did...

_Please Kami-sama—_

"Lord Hokage!" Hiruzen burst onto his feet at the arrival of Tenzo in his office, "We've found Shizuki Haruno in training grounds 44, he's not waking up anytime soon."

"He-is he dead?" Hiruzen asked, fearing to hope

"Yes sir," Hiruzen sighed in relief and slumped into his chair; Ayame hick-upped and started to rock back and forth, a smile on her face.

"He's gone," she whispered, "He won't get you now, he can't touch you." Hiruzen gave the confused and scared children a fond but sad smile, at least he now understood why no one could get through to her, she was focusing on Shizuki's chakra signature and when it got out of her range she feared the worst. Tenzo's words had reassured her that her father was truly dead and not just out of range

"And Sakura?" Hiruzen asked, remembering the little pinkette who used to visit him with bright smiles and girlish giggling

"She appears to be just fine," Tenzo answered, "Crow and Ookami left to check on them after making sure Orochimaru left for good"

"Orochimaru?" Hiruzen repeated, "When did he get here?!"

"We're not sure, sir," Tenzo answered, "Inu-sempai is taking Shizuki's friend to T&amp;I"

"Alright, make sure they go through the usual tests and get some blood work done on him," Hiruzen ordered, "After that get Crow and Ookami in here, I want to have a word with them."

"Yes sir," Tenzo disappeared

"Lord Hokage," Ayame called sniffing softly, "I apologize for my behavior"

"It's alright child," Hiruzen smiled at her reassuringly, "I should have expected it. At least we have good news about your father," Ayame nodded and kissed Tsukiko's sleeping face, running one hand over her son's dark coppery hair. "Your husband should have arrived at the training grounds by now," Hiruzen continued thoughtfully, "Do you want me to call him back?"

"No sir," Ayame smiled, rising to her feet stiffly, "I would like to identify my father's body and then join Kotetsu-kun at the training grounds... if that is okay?"

"That's fine with me dear but what about the children?" Hiruzen asked, "They're worried about you." Ayame smiled at her son and patted his head, pulling him close with sad multi-colored eyes

"Would you like to spend some time with your big brothers and sisters?" Ayame asked, Sora nodded with a smile, glad that his mother was feeling better, "Alright then, I'll check with Inoichi and see if he wouldn't like to spend time with you."

"What about An-nee and Ibi-nii?" Sora asked curiously, blinking his big blue and green eyes up at her

"They're a little busy today Sora-kun," Hiruzen said, drawing the boy's attention to himself, "Inoichi should be free."

"Thank you lord Hokage," Ayame smiled at him with a low bow, Tsukiko whining in her arms in the process, which only made Ayame's smile widen.

…

* * *

…

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Helpful criticism is**** lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to**** rate and**** review!**

**Page 21**


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